


Metamorphosis

by PaddieFrog, TopazShadowwolf



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gaster Blaster (Undertale), F/M, Gaster Blaster Papyrus, Gaster Blaster Sans, RP roughly adapted into fic, depressed thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-04-22 16:00:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 50,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14312220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaddieFrog/pseuds/PaddieFrog, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TopazShadowwolf/pseuds/TopazShadowwolf
Summary: As it is nearing the second year on the surface, Sans is starting to find himself worrying more about when the next reset will be. He's getting to know Toriel more... and they are getting close... but is it worth risking getting into a relationship if any minute the kid will just take everything away?Toriel goes to spend the weekend with her dear friend, Sans... only to learn a surprising secret.





	1. A Tale Of A Tail

**Author's Note:**

> The following is an RP/fic that was started Feb 9th, 2018  
> The players are: Paddie and Topaz Shadowwolf
> 
> Characters played by  
> Paddie: Toriel, Frisk, Chara, Undyne, Flowey  
> Topaz: Sans, Papyrus, Gaster Blasters, Alphys

 

 (Sans)

If it wasn't the bad dream that woke him, it was the horrible pain that the dream caused. After the first year of being on the surface, his dreams had become progressively worse. They were approaching the second year of freedom, and the nightmares had reached a point that he no longer felt numb to them. They were causing him a lot of stress, which resulted in more trouble than poor sleep. It was upsetting the other side of him… the blaster side. And this time, it had been enough to trigger him to start changing shape.

 

Every bone had started to ache as they shifted and changed, causing him to curl in on himself. At least he could be "thankful" he wasn't fully changing, he was spared that for now. But only because his magic hadn't fully recovered from the last full shift. That new limb he hated so much thrashed and displayed his overall annoyance with all of this.

 

He glared at the tail, resisting the desire to attack it only because he was already in so much pain, moving anymore just seemed like the worst idea possible. A thought nagged from the back of his skull, telling him he had forgotten something. But at that point, he didn't care, staying a sad pile of bones on the sofa until his body stopped popping and cracking.

 

(Toriel)

Toriel walked up to the front door of the skeleton brothers’ home with a warm smile on her face. It was so nice to be able to visit them again after her duties at the school had kept her so busy during the past weeks. But tonight she finally had some time to herself, the whole weekend in fact. She had made plans with the brothers to spend some time with them while Frisk was spending their own weekend with their favorite aunts, Undyne and Alphys.

 

She was excited to see them both again in a more personable setting. And, not so secretly, excited to talk with Sans especially, having had come up with quite an array of puns over the past week she was dying to share with him. He was, perhaps, the only monster who'd truly appreciate their greatness. Even with his odd withdrawn behavior as of late, she was sure it would be enough to get one of those wonderful laughs out of him.

 

With all that in mind, she grinned and gave two playful knocks on the door, wondering if the skeleton in question was near enough to hear them and be amused by the reference to their old days in the Underground.

 

(Sans)

He heard two knocks and the nagging thought was quickly answered. He forgot Tori was coming. _How_ could he forget Tori was coming over to spend the weekend? He pulled his hood over his skull, which was already starting to look a bit misshapen, to hide it from view. But what about the tail? That he can't hide so easily. Even more pressing, what was he going to do? He felt terrible thinking of turning her away... but he didn't like the idea of Toriel seeing him like this.

 

He grabbed a blanket to wrap around himself while calling out, "who's there?" Papyrus was out at his engineering class and he said he would pick up groceries on the way home. That meant Sans had to answer the door.

 

Standing on his feet, pain radiated through them as they weren’t sure if the weight of his body should be on the ball of the foot and toes or remain at the heel like normal. As the pain shot up his legs, he decided to lift his heels off the floor for now. He kept the blanket wrapped around himself and hoped that claiming he was sick would be enough to keep Tori from wanting to stay... and seeing him like this.

 

(Toriel)

Usually, hearing the expected reply would have sent a pulse of familiar joy through her. And it did... for a moment. But then that feeling dulled as the nature of his voice became apparent to her. He sounded... somewhat off, voice a touch shaky and not carrying the happiness she expected.

 

 It caused a bit of worry to well up within her soul, but she decided to fire back her reply regardless, never one to break the fun from their usual routine if she could manage it. Perhaps she had only just startled him awake and he was still gaining his bearings from that.

 

 "Justin" She declared, keeping up her cheerful tone as much as she could manage.

 

(Sans)

"jus-" he started to reply, but a pop from his ribs as they shifted caused him to make a short yelp that was muffled by burying his head in the blanket.

 

Though he forced himself to quickly recover; or, at least, he thought he recovered. His voice was shakier than before, which caused him to inwardly wince.

 

 "justin who?" He reached a shaking hand for the doorknob, seeing the sharp points of claws already forming.

 

He started taking deep breaths, trying to calm down so he wouldn’t appear so distressed.

 

(Toriel)

Toriel blinked, surprised to hear his tone of voice grow more unsteady, rather than even out as she had expected. Not only that, but he stuttered and made a sound like he was in pain. When his reply finally did come, it sounded like he had forced the words out, rather than shoot them back in the fond, playful manner she was used to.

 

All of that made the spark of concern in her soul grow to a full on wave, making the urge to drop the jokes immediately grow inside her. But she knew Sans would probably find some excuse to blow off her concerns if she voiced them now.

 

If she wanted to find out the reason behind his behavior, she needed to get inside and be able to ask him face to face. Nothing could be solved with a door between them after all. So, though it was far more difficult than before, so finished the joke with the most jovial voice she could manage.

 

" _Justin_ the neighborhood, thought I would stop by!"

 

(Sans)

The forced nature of his chuckle was clear. Per their ritual, he opened the door upon hearing the answer and he quickly pulled his hand back to hide it in the blanket. He looked up at her, hoping his face looked somewhat convincing that he would be fine if just given time.

 

"hey, tori. i think i got a cold, sorry." He said, surprised at how well he was able to say that.

 

There was some shakiness in his voice, but not as bad as he feared it would be. How many times had he said something like this that it sounded so easy to say? The worse thing, at the moment, was that his legs were trembling from supporting his weight, along with the growing skull ache as his skull was threatening to start changing more soon.

 

(Toriel)

Toriel's unease was not assuaged when she heard his laugh; so very forced it sounded. It was not the laugh she knew and loved, the one she had been waiting all week to hear. It was the laugh he offered when he wanted to hide something or wave away concerns. Nonetheless, she was relieved when he opened the door and she could meet his gaze. Her suspicions seemed to be justified by his appearance.

 

He looked miserable, even with the small grin he was managing, all wrapped up in a blanket with those all too familiar deep dark circles under his eye sockets. Not only that, the shakiness in his voice was mirrored by the way his legs seemed to be trembling beneath him, as if he were struggling to keep himself upright. Something else about his appearance seemed off as well, but she couldn't quite place it. Upon hearing his explanation, she was able to feel a bit of relief to know the reason for his behavior.

 

Still, she frowned and shifted the pie she'd brought them both to her other paw to better address him.

 

"Oh, my friend. I am so sorry. You should have texted me, I would have brought you some tea and soup. And here I am waking you up with jokes when you should be resting." She eyed him sympathetically. "Is it bad? You certainly do not look well."

 

(Sans)

“sorry, i was... well, i forgot," he admitted.

 

He was lying enough as it was. With all the secrets that he kept, lying was a natural response to things like this. Still, he hated lying to her but she didn't need _this_ in her life, on top of everything else going on. He needed to offer her some sort of reassurance that he'd be alright. With some effort, he gathered all his strength for one last bluff.

 

The changing foiled that plan, though. A shock of pain in his skull caused him to wince and look away, interrupting that attempt before it could start. He managed not to make a sound this time but it took a moment before he said weakly,

 

"i'll, uh, ... i'll be fine, j-just need to rest." When he finished saying that, his eyelights focused on the sofa. It was just a short distance away, yet, it looked so far right now.

 

(Toriel)

The flash of pain in his eyelights and his rather feeble assurance made Toriel's nurturing instinct flare up immediately, and she moved then to support him, gently cupping his back with her paw. Her concerns deepened again, his behavior making it clear his claims were not at all representative of the true severity of his ailment. She had not missed his longing look at the couch, and, agreeing with his likely thought, did not waste another moment.

 

 "Do not worry about it." She soothed quickly, softening her voice. "Come now, let us get you settled back on the couch dear. I will see what I can find here to help." With that, she took a step towards the inside, hoping to help him over to the piece of furniture in question.

 

(Sans)

His eye sockets widened as he saw her step into the house. And with her paw to his back he just hoped she didn't feel his larger than normal spinal processes. He was supposed to convince her to leave, and now she was coming in the house.

 

"i'll be o-okay, thanks tori, but i-" he said as he started to side step to move away. But as he did, he stepped on his own tail, causing the next sound to come from him to be a yelp as he tripped and fell backwards.

 

Surrendering to the pain, he just curled up, mostly covered by the blanket, except for the tail that was trying to curl around him.

 

(Toriel)

When he had begun his protests, Toriel had begun formulating her rebuttal just as quickly, especially as she could now feel the tension his small frame contained. It was an odd tension too, as though the bones were moving in an unnatural manner against her paw. Before she could speak her own defiance or comment on that though, he suddenly tripped and collapsed before she could react.

 

Her instinct was to leap to his aide and catch him or at least help him up to his feet again. But she didn't move, she felt utterly frozen by the sight of him there on the floor. He was writhing and curling up tight with pain, certainly not what she could consider a normal symptom for someone with a mere cold. But that was most definitely not what had rendered her wide eyed and frozen in place. No, that reaction was solely  thanks to the sight of a bony _tail_ wrapping tight around his wracked form.

 

A tail that was, undoubtedly, connected to him and far too long to be something she had somehow missed all this time. After a few moments, her compassion and worry for him won over her shock and she quickly moved to set the pie down on a side table next to her before rushing to his side. She knelt on the floor beside him, soul twisting up inside her with worry, but adrenaline pushed her not to let it overwhelm her.

 

"Sans..." She managed to get out at last, hesitantly reaching out towards him. "Wh-what is wrong, my friend? What is... Why do you have a...?"

 

(Sans)

He can feel his face starting to lengthen with a series of cracks and it made him want to just stay hidden under the blanket. For a moment, the pain kept him for remembering what else had been going on before. It was when he heard her voice that his mind returned focus on the here and now. As terrible as it was to have her see him like this, having her here gave him something other than the pain to focus on. But he didn't want to depend on her. She didn’t need that, him being more of a burden than he already was.

 

Her voice sounded close and he looked up at her, startled. He reached his hand out to try keeping her from touching him, but then he saw his own claw tipped phalanges and started to pull his hand back to hide it. The corners of his smile tightened as he shook his head.

 

"i'm s-sorry tori, so sorry... i... this is ... you..." his eye sockets start to fill with tears as he struggled to think of what to say.

 

Tori was such a caring person, too caring for her own good. Anything he said won't easily convince her that she was better off just forgetting what she saw.

 

(Toriel)

It didn’t seem possible, but she felt her worry deepen even further and a growing sense of horrible dread bloom within her soul alongside it as she heard his bones creaking and cracking audibly. Something was happening to him, happening to all of him. His face seemed to be... by the stars... stretching out? She found herself staring into eyelights full of pain and shame. Her mind whirled, not knowing how to process any of it. A feeling only furthered when he reached out a hand briefly before pulling it back, allowing her to see it too was changing, tipped now with dagger-sharp claws.

 

His tearful words tore into her, making it feel as though they were wrapping around and squeezing her soul like a vice. It was clear he didn't know how to communicate what was happening to him either, or simply couldn't bear to, but clearer still was the fact that he was suffering. That fact was all she could afford to focus on right now. Her confusion and shock be damned. He needed help, something was happening to him and it was hurting him. And she certainly couldn't give him much of that while he was a twisted knot of bones on the floor.

 

His actions just moments before indicated that he likely did not want to be touched, but she saw no other way to move him otherwise. He was no state right now to get up and walk on his own, so she supposed she may just have to risk him being a bit sour at her for it, if it meant she could figure out what was happening to him. So after taking as much of a steadying breath as she could, she gently moved her paws so that they began to tuck under his shaking, agonized form.

 

"Sans, I-I am going to pick you up now okay? I am going to move you to the couch." She said in a trembling voice, gentle but with just a hint of firmness to it as well. "W-we can talk about it there."

 

(Sans)

That look. That look in her eyes. The shock... the worry... the concern... it tore through him, sinking his soul. He looked away, feeling defeated. Why did he have to drag her into his life? With luck, after this, she will see that having such a close friendship with him is a horrible idea. Maybe she will still want to be friends... but perhaps it would be best if they weren't.

 

He just _had_ to develop feelings for her. He squeezed his eye sockets shut as another wave a pain traveled through his skull. Knowing what was coming soon, he used his revealed hand to pull the hood down further, hoping to block her view. Upon hearing her voice, he found within his soul some strength from what little hope her tone offered. As much as he wanted to continue tearing at himself internally over what pain he had caused her, he was too tired. That firmness in her voice was like a piece of driftwood for him to cling to.

 

Still, the idea of being touched caused his body to shiver more, adding rattling to the already painful noises his body was making. As soft and gentle her paws may be, and as much comfort he may feel, there was still going to be pain. But then again, his own bones hurt where they touched each other already, and the floor hurt as well. Not wanting her to worry, as he knew he would flinch the moment she touched him, he decided to make sure she was aware he was accepting of her plan.

 

"o-okay," he offered, hoping his verbal agreement to her actions would offer her some comfort.

 

He didn't want to whine but the sound came out anyway with the word. With his magic now split between him and this beast-like self, he will have to accept more embarrassing things like that are bound to happen.

 

(Toriel)

It was the approval she'd been seeking, but the shaky way he gave it along with the pained whine that came with it clawed at her soul again. For him to agree so quickly must mean he was truly suffering. Fear was beginning to grip him too, as noisy rattling added to the terrible symphony of sounds coming from his changing form. Noting that with another pang in her soul, she gave him a nod in response, fighting to keep as calm as possible.

 

Slowly, she slid her arms under him, feeling him flinch the moment her paws touched him. She kept with it regardless, but kept her movements as soft as she could. Then, she gathered him gently into her arms, feeling the full severity of the painful sensations wracking him. His bones were shifting unnaturally, each pop and crack causing another fierce wave of pain to overtake him. It made the task of keeping her mind focused far more difficult, panic wanting so badly to sink its claws into her.

 

She cradled him, keeping him swaddled somewhat in the blanket and willing her composure to hold out. She moved quickly, but mindfully, over to the nearby couch, knowing that being carried like this likely only made the pain he was in worse. Once she reached it, she sank carefully to her knees beside it and gently laid him on the cushions. As she did though, his tail briefly got caught up underneath him and she gently guided it away, not wanting him to have to lay on it.

 

Touching it, however briefly, feeling the way it reacted to her touch, made it all the more real to her, and her soul did another confused, anxious flip flop inside her chest. Once he was settled there, she was unsure what to do next, panicked options flooding her mind. Quickly though, she spoke again, praying to the stars he could manage an answer.

 

"Sans, what is happening to you?" She asked once more, able to keep her voice a bit more even. "Do I need to call Papyrus... or even Alphys maybe? Is your life in danger?"

(Sans)

Every movement hurt, but it ultimately felt better than being on the hard floor. The house may have carpet, but carpet only provides so much padding, especially to sore, shifting, cracking joints. He barely noticed as his tail, reacting to his need for comfort, wrapped around her wrist when touched, as if begging her to stay there.

 

The rest of him tried to close himself off. The couch cushions cradled him enough to be more comfortable, and most of the change was now over. But he could feel the last of it coming and he buried his face into the couch cushions, while withdrawing into the blanket as much as he could. He could hear how upset her voice was, even though, as she continued talking, she tried to hide it. Any and all ways to get her to know he was alright had failed so far. He took a deep breath, ready to try again as he hoped his voice would come out somewhat steady though muffled.

 

"it's okay, i-i’ll be okay... this... this happens now and then."

 

There were two last loud snaps as the last wave of pain flooded his senses. He thought he yelped, but he wasn't sure; all he heard then was the sad whimper that followed. He was unaware of his tail tightening its grip on Toriel's wrist. At least it was over, now that his bottom jaw was split and there was the split running up from his nasal cavity to between his eyes. He tried to sound better than before, but his voice was quivering like a leaf and strained at best.

 

"s-see... it's o-over, n-now. j-just n-need to rest. y-you don't n-need t-to stay... p-p-pap will b-be home soon..." He finally dared to look up at her the best he could through the tears in his sockets.

 

His weak attempt at a reassuring smile was called out by the soft whines he still made with each exhale.

 

(Toriel)  
When his skull let out those two violent cracks and he cried out in pain, Toriel's soul cried out right along with him, only worsening when he laid there openly whimpering afterwards. She felt his tail wrapping in an almost desperate manner around her wrist, as though clinging to her in a way that he would not allow himself to do otherwise. By some sort of instinct, she lightly wrapped a few fingers around it, brushing her thumb gently over the bony ridges.

 

He didn't seem aware of his new limb's actions as he managed to speak to her again. His claims that whatever was happening was over seemed to be somewhat believable, as the worst of the terrible sounds escaping him finally stopped. And it was enough for the worst of her panic to ease. But to hear him try to dismiss her, after all that, she just wouldn't stand for it, and it did sting a bit to hear.

  
The way his tail was so tightly clinging to her though, nearly pleading her not to even back up, much less leave him, seemed to communicate how he truly felt about the situation. His tearful sockets bore into her, and she thought she saw some of that plea in them as well. But all that could hardly distract her from taking in his changed appearance. His muzzle was longer, almost beast like, like her own, and a long crack ran from his once small nasal cavity to the space between his sockets. His jaw was split as well, accommodating for its new length and his whole skull was now adorned with new ridges.

 

For a moment, she could only stare, feeling faintly ill for all the confusion and sympathy she felt for him. But then she forced herself to snap out of it, hardening her gaze just a bit and running her thumb lightly over his tail again.

 

 "Sans, I am not going to leave you like this." She said, before slowly, lightly slipping her free arm around his quivering form and pulling him just a little closer. "Whatever... just happened. It has clearly hurt you. I will not force you to tell me what is going on right now, but I will not leave you alone, I know you do not truly want that."

 

Her tone grew more pained, and she met his gaze with a plea of her own. "Please Sans, let me help you. Tell me what I can do."

 

(Sans)

He was startled by her hardened gaze and his will to fight her on this decreased. As much as he didn't want to trouble her, he didn't have the energy to convince her. He felt himself pulled closer to her and was torn between resisting or leaning into her. He settled for just lying there passively. He listened to her, finding comfort from her affirming that she won't leave him, but he also felt guilt that continued to dig at him. Opening the door was a mistake... but he couldn't just leave her out there, staring at the door like they were in the Underground again.

 

Another shiver traveled through him at that thought. Of her just standing outside feeling helpless to do anything for him. That was something that he would regret more than this, at least now there was one less secret between them. He took a shuddering breath and sighed.

He didn't know what she could do other than just be herself.  In that quiet moment he noticed a soothing feeling and finally noticed his tail.

 

His hatred of that thing returned and he started to reach for it until he noticed Tori's thumb lightly running over it was the source of what he felt. Again, he looked up at her feeling a mess of mixed up emotions. He struggled to get words out through his conflicted and tired magic, and his voice reflected that as he barely croaked, "i don't know."

 

(Toriel)  
Those quiet, strained words from him did little to ease her worries, but did promptly remind her of one thing. Sans was exhausted, thoroughly. Hardly surprising given what had just happened to him. More than anything right now, he needed to rest. The fact he'd allowed his tail to remain in place on her wrist even after noticing it was a relief, as it least allowed her to feel as though she were doing something to offer him comfort.

 

She kept it up, making the motions more rhythmic as her paws stopped their slight shaking. Still, she couldn't be sure if his allowance of the act was a good or bad sign in the long run. She softened her gaze again, willing it to be comforting, gentle, now that she was fairly certain he would not to try to make her leave again. Options as what to do spun about in her head for a few moments more, before she reached with her free paw to grab a pillow from the couch and gently eased it under his misshapen skull as much as she could manage.

 

Then she tucked the blankets more snugly around him, leaving only his tail free so it could remain wrapped around her wrist. She ended the task by rewrapping her arm around him and resting her paw on his back.

 

"How about this then." She crooned, softening her tone as well. "I will stay here until you can get to sleep... if you think you can manage that right now." She began moving the paw on his back in slow, tender circles, watching carefully to gauge his reaction. "Are you still in a lot of pain?"

 

(Sans)

Sans rested his head on the pillow as she tucked him in. It was a nice feeling but he still was struggling to just let himself relax. He didn't like worrying her, and he could tell she was. This was something that had happened since he was young. As much as he hated it, it just is. Was she going to worry each time? Part of him wanted to try again, to convince her to leave and not get wrapped up in this cycle of pain he is trapped in.

 

But... Tori is Tori. She had surrendered her title for not only strangers, but humans, and a chance to save them. So, what chance did he have to make her change her mind on him? His sockets started to tear up again as he watched her, wondering how he managed the luck to meet a friend like her with such a sense of humor. His tail tightened its grip on her again, but this time he was aware of it.

 

When her arm moved around him again, he just watched her, silent, unsure if he could make a sound. Her voice broke the silence and his thoughts. Sleep generally wasn't too hard for him, but right now his magic still felt off, and he couldn't. He considered saying something about that when he felt the circles being pet onto his back. His smile relaxed at that and some of the tension he felt eased away.

 

 "no. well, uh, i'm a bit sore from it all but it's fading," he still sounded weak, but there was some peace to his voice now as he spoke.

 

As Tori continued to move her hand in those circles, and Sans relaxed, he started making a soft sound without really thinking about it. It was a rumble almost like a cat's purr but deeper in pitch. Once he noticed it, though, it stopped and he couldn’t help but feel his magic flush into his face with embarrassment. He watched Tori, wondering if she had heard that or if it had somehow been soft enough not to be detected by Tori's ears.

 

(Toriel)

Relief eased some of the fretful tension that had been present in her own body as she watched him relax under her touch, rather than flinch from it as he had before. That relief was furthered by his words, and the fact that his tone seemed to to be closer to his usual voice, if still rather weak. There were still tears shining in his sockets though, but she can't quite place the reason. Nonetheless, his relaxing in front of her reassured her of one thing, that when he said this "happened sometimes" it likely meant it was something he was used to and was not as horrifying an event as she had feared.

 

Still, to know he endured such terrible pain on a regular enough basis like this... A pulse of emotion shot through her at that, and when his tail tightened its grip on her again, she lightly squeezed back in response. She kept on gently rubbing his back, noting absently that he had dodged the first question, but supposing that itself was enough of an answer in his case.  He wasn't going to be able to sleep, not for a little while at least. It was more than understandable that he was shaken up by the event, quite literally in some respects. She tried not to stare at his transformed face, attempting to ensure her eyes remained locked to his gaze or down at the couch cushions rather than let them wander.

  
She was about to reply to him, when a sudden soft sound began to escape him again. But this one was... not unpleasant like before. Odd, but not unpleasant. It almost sounded like a cat's purr, or a deeper version of one of her own, and it made his whole body vibrate lightly, down to the tip of his tail. Plus, the contented expression that crossed his misshapen features only added credence to her theory. But could it really be that he was...? He abruptly cut off the sound, and the light blush that appeared on his face seemed like answer enough. He had been purring... that combined with his more animalistic features and the tail... her mind spun with a million questions at once, but she held to her promise not to press him on the issue right then.

 

Despite it all, a bit of a smile appeared on her face, though it was still hesitant.

 

"Hmm... I take it that... that means you are enjoying this?" She asked, pointedly sweeping her paw in a bit of a larger circle across his transformed, unfamiliar back.

 

 

There was perhaps the slightest bit of teasing entering her voice, laced with a questioning tone.

 

(Sans)

The feeling of magic flushing his face increased as she smiled. He was fairly sure she heard the purr, and, after what she said, he knew for sure. He looked away, mind racing on what to say to maybe get some of the attention off of what he just did. Not that he didn't like Tori's attention on him. But, having it when he was like... _this_ , especially if it were for something that could make this form positive, he was uncomfortable with. He didn't like being like this, and wasn't sure he wanted to find anything good about it.

 

Before he could get far into those thoughts though, her paw started making larger circles and the rumbling purr started up again reflexively. It just felt too good and calming to not give into that instinct. This time it was louder and clearer. He looked back at Toriel, sure that blush had practically covered most of his beast-like face. Well, there was no use hiding it or trying to change the topic, so he might as well just roll with it.

 

He smiled, though sensing some awkwardness in it, "that could be a _purr_ sibility." Hopefully the pun would release the tension he was feeling and maybe get her to laugh.

 

(Toriel)

When he blushed further at her words, her smile increased along with it, just a bit. She didn't want to embarrass him too badly after going through something so awful. Still, she couldn't deny that it was... cute. It would probably be more so if she knew what the hell had happened to him, or was fully assured of his wellbeing, but she couldn't deny it was endearing. It seemed this new form he'd taken on came with quite a few quirks along with his changed appearance. Her now more confident attempts at comforting him were continuing to work too, as the purring sound started up again even with the clear embarrassment still evident on his face. The light blue color now totally spread across his misshapen features, making his transformed face not seem quite as alien as it had at first.

 

His little quip that he fired back was so unexpected that it summoned out a soft giggle from her, despite everything, giving his tail a little reactionary squeeze along with it. If he was still in good enough spirits to make jokes, it was a good sign that he was doing much better than she thought. She allowed the smile to remain on her face, though concern still kept it from growing any stronger.

 

"Well then I am happy to hear it." She said, sweeping her paw slowly up and down the length of his spine then, now sure he was okay with it. "You know I always love to hear your _purr_ sonal flavor of puns, my friend. Even in situations like this..."

 

She paused, feeling her relief at it all and the receding adrenaline bring some tears to her own eyes.

 

"Oh, Sans... I am just so glad you are okay..." She murmured, a little breathlessly, and with a shakier smile as she gripped his tail a little tighter between her fingers.

 

(Sans)

The squeeze on his tail felt so reassuring. Tori was taking this far better than he would have hoped. Even still, he could see her smile wasn't its full size. He just wanted her to be happy and not be bothered with his issues. A pang of sorrow at this caused his soul to sink. Still, she seemed happier because he was acting happier. So, that's what he needed to do until she was finally like herself. What smile she did give, though, was enough for him to smile back. He loved her smile, and her giggles. He also found he loved the feeling of her paw sweeping down his back like that. In fact, he liked it so much his body leaned into it and the purr increased in volume. The feeling of embarrassment slowly faded as contentment took over, with him knowing that she seemed to enjoy this reaction.

 

Her pun caused a soft chuckle from him and he started to think of a nice reply to offer her to hopefully get a stronger giggle, or maybe even a laugh. She was still thinking about what had happened and he wanted to distract her from it like her kindness was helping him. But that thought didn't sound finished and he looked at her. He saw her tears and the purring stopped as he worried he had done something wrong or maybe what all had happened had finally caught up... Listening to her words he looked at her a moment before deciding to put on his usual smile. It looked odd with his muzzle, so hopefully she won’t see through it.

 

"yeah, tori. this has been happening since i was young. kinda... not fun, heh, but i'm okay," he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, but upon seeing his own hand he hesitated.

 

He didn't want to possibly hurt her... or comfort her with _that_. He pulled it back and tried to act like he was only trying to reposition himself.

 

(Toriel)

 

She blinked back the offending moisture in her eyes, irritated with herself for letting it happen. The last thing Sans needed to worry about right now was comforting her when he was the one who had just gone through... stars she could be so selfish sometimes. He had been looking so much happier and then she had to spoil it by being so reactionary... as usual. She forced her smile back into place to match his own, pulling back her paw briefly to sweep it over her eyes again. It only took a pass or two for the tears to stop, throttled by her anger at herself. With that, she was able to work up a more believable smile, one that only faltered a bit when he spoke again.

 

By the stars... he'd been living with this all his life? Ever since he was a child? Imagining a child enduring such a painful transformation... it made her soul clench up inside her and she had to fight to keep her smile from falling too much as she offered him a simple nod of understanding in reply. She was distracted from that thought by the sight of him trying to flash his usual grin at her, though it looked rather odd on his misshapen features. It was still enough to quiet her soul a bit, even if she knew it was likely nearly fake as her own smile. He reached out his clawed, transformed hand to lay against her shoulder briefly, before pulling it back quickly. She caught the flash of self hatred in his eyelights as he did so and her soul gave another pang for him, realizing just how much he must hate being like this.

 

 In an effort to assuage those feelings a bit and refocus her thoughts back where they belonged, she reached out her free paw again and laid it against his side.

 

 "Oh Sans, do not be ashamed dear." She implored, meeting his eyelights again. "I know you must... not like being this way, especially with how painful the process was for you... but, this form... it is still you, is it not? It is... part of you. I am not afraid or unnerved by it, I promise."

 

 In an effort to prove that, she moved her paw to offer it to him, palm up and silently indicated to the clawed hand he was hiding.

 

"May I... see?" She asked, voice gentle.

 

(Sans)

Watching her force back the tears to put on a smile reminded him of how much she was like him in a way. They were both hurt in their own way, and knew it; yet, they both put on a fake smile for eachother. Seemed silly, but he knew why he wore his. He didn't want to burden Tori with his problems because she has been through so much already. So much... years, upon years... far longer than he has lived. His pain, while physical, couldn’t be that different than her emotional…

 

Granted, he didn’t know everything she lived through, his pain from being this _thing_ , and that timeline nonsense…, and dad…. He might know his, but looking at Tori he sees that same hidden pain he sees in himself. He just wanted to see her happy without it lurking in the background. So, when his words didn't help, and her smile fell, even a little, he felt a pain of failure. All he had done today is cause her more pain.

 

He caught himself from commenting about not feeling ashamed. The way he felt about this shape is past ashamed,but he doubted that would help. Tori didn't need to hear about how much he hated everything about this... _thing_ he was. 'Not like being this way' is more than an understatement. He really didn't like her seeing this face, or even that horrible thing wrapped around her wrist. Thinking of it, he glanced at the tail again, loathing that it existed and was attached to his body... or was even touching Tori.

 

Right now she was waiting, paw extended to him and offering to take his... 'hand.' He felt a shiver start as he looked between the offered paw and to Tori's face. He feared seeing how she would react to seeing him and seeing the same rejection in her eyes that he felt for himself. But he didn't want to just turn her down with a 'no.' His mind quickly turned to the answer he usually had, deflect with a joke and laziness.

 

"uh, heh, as handsome as i'm sure you'll find it, i just can't _knuckle_ down to move again. just _paw_ sitively tired," he offered those puns up, hoping that'd do they trick.

 

It was bad enough she had to see that tail and his skull... she didn't have to see more.

 

(Toriel)

She understood the jokes he shot her way were a kind, gentle way of denying her request, as well as simply an indulgence of his usual methods of deflection. The reasons behind that reflected in the light of his eyes and the shivering that overtook his body once the question had left her. It made her feel a harsh twinge of guilt for upsetting him to that level, and admittedly, another little sting of rejection. Clearly he was even more self conscious and hateful of this other form of his than she had expected. She hoped at least the meaning behind her offer had sunk in a bit, even if he wouldn't accept them just yet.

 

The jokes still brought a light giggle to her regardless, just able to penetrate her more negative emotions. She pulled back the paw she'd been holding out to him to cover her mouth as she did so. But once the spike of joviality left her, her expression softened into something more apologetic.

 

"Clever as always, my friend." She said, tone a bit heavier than it probably should be. "I apologize, I hope I did not make you uncomfortable. You do not have to show me anything more if you do not wish to, of course. I should have not have asked such a thing." She paused, eyes growing a bit hazy before she shook herself and smiled again.

 

An idea of what to ask instead came to her then, some other way she could feel like she was doing something constructive. She gave his his tail another gentle rub between her fingers, finding the action rather soothing herself now, and happy he at least allowed her to continue with that for the moment.

 

"Would you like me to get you anything, my friend? Some water or... maybe even ketchup in your case?" She asked, a more fond smile crossing her face. "I also brought you both some pie, if you feel up to eating."

 

(Sans)

Hearing the giggle brightened his mood and he smiled when she covered her mouth. He had been able to get her to sound and look happier than she had been since he opened the door. He couldn't help but smile at the praise. Though her tone was not as happy as he would have liked. He just wished that air of apology wasn't there, but he understood why when she finally apologized.

 

With a sigh he tried to shrug a little before saying softly, "s'okay, tori, really."

 

Perhaps he should have been brave and showed his hand to her after all, but still... if she... It's hard enough looking at himself.... And... this wasn’t even a full change. He felt a small tremble travel through him, hoping Tori never sees him fully changed. He couldn't... He felt his smile slip but he struggled through, not wanting Tori to worry anymore than she already was. The feeling of her rubbing his tail had helped him stay strong. In response the end of the tail did a slow, calm wag, rubbing against her.

 

At the thought of food he chuckled. Yeah, he was hungry.

 

"pie sounds good... or any food, really. the... 'process' of changing takes a lot of energy..."

 

The more he thought about it the hungrier he was. How he failed to notice this before was beyond him. He smiled back at her, and he noticed the scent of the pie, and it smelled great.

 

(Toriel)

His reassurance did give her some relief, believing at least that he was not upset with her for her tactless request. Still, she could see the lingering pain and fear in his eyelights, directed no doubt at himself and potential scenarios he was conjuring in his mind. When she rubbed his tail again though, it seemed to relax him a bit once more and she smiled more genuinely when it even gave a little happy wag. This form of his had both cat like and dog like quirks it seemed. She made a mental note of that, but decided not to call further attention to it, not even for any playful teasing.

 

Clearly there was a deeper risk of hurting him with those sorts of words than she previously considered. Still, she found it hard to bring herself to gently free her wrist from his tail, knowing he'd likely not allow it to reattach to her that way again. But if she were to fetch him and herself any pie, she couldn't very well drag it along with her. So once she carefully unwrapped it, she laid it back down at his side before giving him another slow, especially gentle stroke over the transformed hills and valleys of his side.

 

"Very well then, I will go cut us both a piece. You wait here and continue to rest." She murmured, before slowly standing up.

 

Then a more playful, almost mischievous tone entered her voice as she walked over to get the pie she'd left on the side table.

 

 "I think we can break the rules a bit and eat dessert first for once. And on the couch no less! We should probably not tell your brother though. He may not be very hap- _pie_ with us if he finds out."

 

With that, she carried the pastry into the brothers' kitchen, happy to find it was still pleasantly warm beneath the protective covering, and retained it's wonderfully sweet scent. Borrowing a knife, two forks and two plates from Papyrus' well organized kitchen setup, she cut them both a decently sized slice of pie and then returned to the couch. She carefully sat down beside him, not wanting to jostle him with her notable weight hitting the cushions next to his likely sore skull. Once settled though, she moved to offer him his plate but then stopped, eyeing him with a hint of concern again.

 

"Do you think you can sit up, my friend?" She asked, setting her own plate in her lap in order to free a paw to help with the task if need be.

 

(Sans)

Sans watched as Tori freed herself from his tail. He had loosened his grip but it seemed to still act on its own and make her do the work verses releasing her. He stared at it for a moment after she set it down. His body tensing as he did. His thoughts almost turned dark before Tori’s paw moved over his side. Her stroke brought some peace to him and he sighed, a soft rumble of a purr with it.

 

“ok,” resting was a request he could always easily follow.

 

He closed his sockets as he listened to her playful tone of voice. He liked hearing that. It was good to know she was feeling good enough to be playful.

 

“we have a while longer, his class isn’t out yet. so, this disregard for the rules of eating will stay between us. seems a shame though, that pa _pie_ rus will be missing out on this chance,” he replied, happy for that pun break.

 

As she entered the kitchen, his tail just had to playfully flip while moving closer to him. He had held himself back before, but he couldn’t anymore. Like the predatory creature he was, he pounced on it, though his right hand was tangled in the blanket, causing only his left to hold it down. As it thrashed under his sharp hold, his anger being the cause of that behavior, he grabbed it in his jaw. He held onto it until he remembered Tori was coming back. She didn’t show the same disgust he had for it, and he feared she would be upset seeing him like this... considering before... If his eye socket tearing up from the waves of pain indicated anything, he had done some damage to it. She couldn't see this... he hastily shoved the limb under himself, but not into the blanket cocoon.

 

He pulled his arm back into the blanket as she returned, and smiled at her. He saw the concern again and he worried she saw some indications something was possibly wrong. Her words eased that stress away. Though it did mean he would need to sit up while still keeping his tail hidden.

 

“sure,” he said as he started to move, was mindful of her angle as he tried to keep the tail as hidden as possible.

 

 It hurt as he put more of his weight on it, but not severe enough to keep him from doing so. While moving, he shifted over a little to make sure the small spot made by magic seeping from the small wound on his tail, a drop or two most likely, onto the couch was hidden. He didn't think there was any on the blanket, so he tried to to worry about that. He did offer her a smile once situated.

 

(Toriel)

Toriel was glad to see he still had the strength to sit up, though she didn't miss the flash of pain in his eyelights as he did so. It was sharper than she expected and she wondered if he was lying about merely being sore at this point. He was almost certainly keeping that cute little tail of his hidden now too, which admittedly made her a bit disappointed. She had grown to enjoy the sight and little quirks of it. She considered saying something, but decided it could at least wait until they both had their pie. He did say he was hungry after all.

 

So once he had sat up, she handed him his plate, but paused again, trying to figure out where exactly his "lap" was in this new form. She considered simply letting him hold the plate, but then she remembered how uneasy he was about her seeing his transformed hands. And they likely would not be as deft at operating something like a fork. Would he simply snap up the whole thing in his jaws in one bite?

 

 With everything else in mind that could very well end up being the most viable option. By this point she felt a bit awkward just holding it there, indulging her curiosities, and offered him something of an apologetic smile.

 

"Sorry, uh... How would you like to...?" She trailed off, not even sure how to finish that question without potentially sounding demeaning.

 

(Sans)

Sans noticed her hesitation and he understood why. He had a decision to make. It would be easy to just grab the pie slice up in his jaws and chomp it down. His teeth really weren’t meant for chewing like this. He didn’t want to do that though, it would feel like a crime if he was honest with himself. Her pies were meant to be enjoyed, not wolfed down without a chance for the flavor being acknowledged. But the only other option meant showing her his hands. They were currently stuck in a weird state of being either a hand or the forepaw of some four legged beast.

 

He listened as she trailed off and he offered her a weak grin. Decision made, he slowly freed his hands from the cocoon and took the plate with care. She wanted to see them, after all... handling a fork wouldn’t be easy, or eating off of one. But he had done it before.

 

“thanks, tori,” he said softly while offering a smile to show it was okay.

 

He understood her confusion, this was new to her and not easy to deal with.

 

“and don’t worry, ok? i know you’d never mean to upset me,” he added, hoping that she’d feel more free to speak her mind.

 

(Toriel)

She smiled when he took the plate, glad he made the decision before she made an even bigger fool of herself. The fact he could smile while doing it, even weakly so, was a reassurance too, far better a reaction than his anxious trembling before. She only allowed herself a brief glance at his transformed hands before looking back to her own plate, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. From what she glimpsed, they seemed to be a mixture of an animal's paw and his usual hand, existing somewhere between the two. That thought made a more worrying one briefly cross her mind, wondering if it was indeed a "half-way" point, did that mean that there was a... more complete version?

 

The idea dissipated quickly though, as she remembered he had assured her his ordeal was over. It was harder than before to force down all her questions, but his assurance to her that he offered after taking the plate was enough to distract her again. It even brought a comforting, warm feeling to her soul that worked its way into her smile too.

 

 "You are most welcome." She said, red eyes soft. "And I appreciate that, my friend. But still, if I do say or do anything that makes you uncomfortable, even if I do not intend it, do not be afraid to let me know, alright? I... I want to be here for you through this, not add any further stress to your situation."

 

The words came out a bit more weighty and affectionate than she intended, and a light blush burned at her cheeks briefly. She quickly turned her attention back to her pie slice, taking a bite to distract herself and hopefully hide any potential pink color coloring the tips of her long ears.

  
(Sans)  
Sans silently stared at his pie in thought. There was so much he wanted to say, but so much of it could hurt her.

 

“alright,” he said, looking up at her, “but only if you do the same... tori, i...,” he looked back at the pie. “i’ve never had a... friend like you before. pap and i... we just always handled it ourselves since we figured it would...”

 

He sighed and looked back at her, “well, i felt no one else should have to see this... thing.” He closed his eye sockets to calm his thoughts so he could get to the point, “basically, i tend to push others away because i believe it’s for their own good. and if i say or do something that hurts you... let me know.”

 

He didn’t know for sure, but he was just inclined to believe her continual distress from earlier was from his insistence of her leaving. Based on her reminders that she was staying with him to help, it seemed to be on her mind still. He... loved her too much to hurt her like that.

 

(Toriel)  
She gained the will to meet his gaze again as he began his reply, chewing her bite of pie thoughtfully. His thoughtful words, surprisingly open in their display of his feelings, may not have helped her get the flustered feelings within her soul to quiet down, but they did add to the growing warmth inside her. To hear such things from him... meant a lot. Especially considering he, as he had admitted, tended to shut out her and others during his times of struggle. Now she knew one more reason as to why. But his willingness to be a bit more open about it now was a good sign, and one she dearly appreciated.

 

She considered her response for a few moments, wanting to ensure her words were more thought out this time. "Very well." She began, in regards to his last request. "I will honor that, Sans, thank you." She knew to truly to hold to that, she needed to be honest about how she was feeling too. Almost subconsciously, but not quite totally so, she shifted just a bit closer to him, just enough that their sides lightly touched.

  
"I understand why you would be afraid of letting me and the others know about this. But to speak for myself at least, it is much more painful for me when you shut you me out to try to spare my feelings. I would much rather endure some heartache in the midst of helping you than to have to watch you suffer from afar. Being unable to help others... to offer them my help... I feel that would cause me more pain than anything else. My biggest vice may very well be my tendency to worry too much." She paused then, realizing she may have been a bit too long winded with that. She had a bad habit of going off on wordy tangents from time to time, perhaps a lingering quirk from her days as Queen.

 

Mindfully, she went on in a lighter tone, letting warmth enter her voice again along with it. "Sorry, I do not intend to chastise you or anything, my friend. I meant what I said before when I told you that you should only share what you are comfortable with. But just know that no matter what you tell me or show me. I will not turn away from you, I promise. You are my dearest friend Sans, I owe you that much for all you have done for me."

  
(Sans)  
When their sides touched his soul did something he wasn't sure he could explain. Trying to take his mind off of his mixed up emotions he focused his sight on his pie. His depleted magic reminded him that he was still hungry and that this pie wasn't going to eat itself. But holding a fork takes some concentration, and Tori's heart filled speech wasn't allowing for that. Still, he started to pick up his fork but his hand began to tremble again as tears blurred his vision. "heh, you've...," he looked her in the eyes, "got a big heart. i hate to be a cause of ache for it... but i'd never want to break it. if being a source of ache will save you from more pain, then i guess..."

 

He let out a shuddering sigh. He knew she didn't mind the tail, and considering what she just said, he figured hiding what happened would only hurt her more in the long run. His voice strained, "i'm sorry, for all the pain." His tail moved out from under himself and moved over to Tori. The chips his fangs had made had stopped any seeping of magic and were small, but noticeable.

 

He didn't want to see her react, so he looked at the pie again trying to get a piece on the fork, looking like a child still learning how to eat properly. Yet, he did it then got piece in his mouth by scraping it off the fork against his fangs, as he obviously lacked lips or a tongue, and like this, the flat incisors that normally did the job.

 

(Toriel)  
His reaction to her words was a little painful to witness, especially with the tears she could see brimming in his sockets. But she could tell that he had accepted her words rather well, even if his instinct was to immediately dive into self loathing a bit again. She reminded herself though that this was to be expected in his case, and it was still quite meaningful for him to apologize this way despite that. He had taken a small, but notable step with those words, even if he didn't realize it.

 

She offered a warm, hopefully comforting smile. His tail settled against her again, a little act that made her smile grow stronger, but she let it be for the moment as she replied.

 

"Do not worry about it, my friend. No pain that comes with helping you with things like this could ever hope to measure up to all the joy you have brought me. And it is more than worth enduring it, if it means I can help you feel better as well." She assured him, only then reaching out to gently cup his tail in her paw, holding it as Sans took an awkward, clumsy bite of pie.

 

It was clearly not an easy task for him but he managed well enough and she turned her attention back to his tail. As she did, she noticed how stiff it was. At first, she assumed that was just due to his nervousness in presenting it to her again. But then she actually got a good look at it, and felt a spark of concern grip her. There were a few small marks in the tail, stained a bit in a way that showed they had been leaking magic. Those had certainly not been there before...

 

"Oh Sans, what happened to your tail?" She asked, trying not to sound too worried.

 

Her paws almost immediately began to glow with a soft green healing magic, and she started lightly running her paw over the marks. As she did so, she couldn't help but think they looked a bit like... bite marks? She didn't want to ask that though, fearing it might be a misguided assumption to make.

  
(Sans)  
Sans felt the warmth of her healing magic and guilt started to tear at him. He should have known she would have worried about healing his wounds, even though there was no point. The thing about having your body shred itself to reform into something else, is it makes you oddly durable.

 

"y-you don't have to worry about healing it," he said weakly, "it'll b-be fine when i... change back."

 

His body started to shiver, mixing with the slight tremble he already had. He wasn't sure how to say what happened to his tail. He wasn't going to lie about it because this isn't the first time; nor, will it be the last. If she was as committed as she said, and he had no reason to doubt her, at one point or another she will see that. And there was no point not saying anything, she's smart enough to understand his silence. So he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He could let her guess, or continue this series of honesty. Maybe this could be the last thing for the day... before changing back. It just felt like so much. Normally he would eat then curl up in a ball of misery. Opening up about all of this had been exhausting in more ways than one. Though, he had to admit, this was nicer than the usual. Unable to properly hold the fork anymore he set it on the plate; which he then held with both his hands to make sure he didn't lose his grip.

 

"i-i happened t-to it," he finally croaked out, "i j-just... d-don't like it."

 

He broke his concentration on the pie to offer Tori an apologetic look.

 

(Toriel)  
The way he trembled in response to her question made her soul ache a bit for him, but she heeded his words and reluctantly cut off the flow of green magic. She could see he was struggling to come up with an explanation, and a terrible guilt burned in his eyelights. When he finally did give his explanation though, it reaffirmed her earlier suspicions and she glanced down at the now fainter marks with a small frown. He really had _bitten_ his own tail.

 

Not picked at it or swatted it away, but bit it. It made her realize how much deeper the animalistic instincts must be for him in this form. All she really could feel was sympathy on his behalf, and gave the tail a tender little rub in response with her paw, sure to avoid the sore spots.

 

"I see... I am sorry dear. That must be very frustrating for you." She said, deciding then to gently slip an arm around him, to hopefully soothe his shivering a bit. She did it in a way that invited him to lean against her, but did not force it, the touch light enough to easily be brushed off if he wished.

 

She gave his arm slow a rub like she did his tail, hopefully in a way he'd find reassuring. Looking at him again, she could see terrible exhaustion in his eyelights, making them seem to waver slightly in the darkness of his eye sockets. Exhaustion that was certainly only exacerbated by all her prying, even if it was likely still beneficial to them both in the long run. She lowered her voice to something gentler, continuing to work her paws slowly over his tail and shoulder as she spoke and leaving her plate resting in her lap.

 

"How about we both finish our pie and then just relax for a while? maybe lie down and try to rest again. I think you need it, my friend." She observed with a sympathetic smile. "I am guessing there is still some time before you... change back, yes?"

 

A bit of nervousness crept into her voice again with those words, hoping it would not be as agonizing a process for him as the initial transformation had been.

 

(Sans)  
As she gave the tail a rub it again started to wrap around her wrist as it displayed his feelings of insecurity. Sans didn't know what to say or do and just shrugged to the apology. He felt her arm move around him and tensed up at first. He had so much self hate for this... shape, that the notion that anyone would want to be that close to him right now just confused him. It caused the his shaking to worsen... and yet... a part of him felt starved for suchf contact.

 

Upon understanding the invitation, he closed his eye sockets and he leaned against her. It felt safe and yet he couldn't help but feel horrible about it. The arm and tail rub were reassuring, and a strained purr did start to let her know. She seemed surprised to see him, but not... disgusted. He could say she did looked shocked at times but not scared, or, at least, scared of him. But how would she react if she saw the full thing and not just this small part? With luck, she never would.  
  
He didn't know if he could speak, feeling as though he had no voice. So he just nodded to both of her questions and looked at his pie again. Resting before his body changed back would be nice. And he really wanted to finish the pie. While still leaning against her, he tried to pick back up his fork. He found it more of a struggle then before, as his thumb was no longer ideal for holding things.

 

With a sigh, he figured he would need to change up his eating plan. He moved the plate closer to his mouth and took a bite, finding that easier then using a tool with his shaky hands. Not that holding the plate was that easy right now either, but with both hands holding it at once, it was a little better. He looked over at Toriel, hoping that she saw that as another approval of her suggestion. Knowing he will soon have a chance to rest increased his feeling of needing to sleep, and he was really starting to feel the full force of his exhaustion.

(Toriel)  
She was quite relieved when he showed signs of accepting her attempts to comfort him. First with the subconscious act of his tail re-wrapping itself around her wrist, an act she reciprocated in part, by lightly wrapping her own fingers around it in return as though it were his hand she were holding. Then with him accepting her silent invitation and leaning against her side. As he did though, she could sense his internal distress. He initially shook harder at her touch, rather than be soothed by it, and she could sense he felt badly about allowing himself to accept her comfort.

 

She didn't fully understand why he hated this form... to the point it would warrant such heavy self-disgust. Hating the painful process it took to turn into it, that was understandable. But hating this form itself, what was so awful about it? Sure it came with a bit more... feral instincts attached it seemed, and limbs that were difficult to manage. But that didn't seem enough to justify the depths of his loathing for it. Surely he didn't simply think himself ugly? His new form was a fair departure from his normal appearance and a bit rough around the edges, yes, but there was nothing that undesirable about it.

She found it... somewhat cute even, making him look a little more like one of her own species. But if he truly hated it this much, there was probably something deeper to it all, and that was simply something she'd have to wait and see if he'd be willing to share another day.  
For now at least, she simply took comfort in the idea that he was accepting her comfort, however little it actually did to ease his troubled mind. She wasn't surprised when he didn't give any sort of verbal reply to any of her words, practically feeling the exhaustion draining him more and more by the moment.

 

Sparing energy to address such heavy questions was likely a non option to him at this point. She was also not surprised when he gave up on the fork and took a bite of the pie in a way that far better suited his current form. It also seemed to serve as his way of showing his agreement with her proposal, and she offered him a warm smile to show her understanding. In that moment, she also came up with an idea to hopefully cheer him up a bit.

 

She picked up her plate again with her semi-free paw, still happily allowing his tail to remain wrapped around her wrist as she did so.

 

"I imagine that is a much easier way of eating in your case." She said, in a more jovial tone. "I think I will give it a _pie_ as well.“ With that, she brought the plate up to her own muzzle just as he did and took a wonderfully undignified bite out of the dessert.

 

She offered him a playful smile as she chewed and shot him a wink, hoping it would prompt a laugh out of him, or maybe at least a smile.

(Sans)  
Sans watched as Tori took a bite out of the pie in the same manner he did. That was something he never expected from her and it left him in a state of shock. His purring paused and his shivering quieted while he just sat there, staring at her. He didn't feel the magic spreading across his face as feelings for her started to stir stronger in his soul. But he did feel the sudden feeling of love washing over him, as that had to be among the cutest things he'd seen her do.

 

And... it was kind... It felt silly, like he was some animal, eating like he did. Then she mimicked the behavior, making him feel connected, or at least not alone. He was feeling so smitten, it took a moment for him to notice the playful smile on her face. He was sure she was hoping for more from him then a wide socket stare, so he smiled. With the smile came a chuckle, which was short, but... honest. Feeling less embarrassed by his own situation he went back to eating his own pie that way. His tail petting her arm like it did before in a content wag that he was unaware of.  
  
The pie was so good that once he started eating without the fork or worry of how he might look, he finished it quickly. It also helped that he lacked the ability to chew so each bite was practically swallowed whole, with a few being broken down to smaller chunks with a chomp or two. It felt good having something in him to help restore his magic. With all that new magic within him, exhaustion took over and he yawned. As he did the two halves of his bottom jaw opened, then closed with a click as his mouth shut again. He looked over at Tori, and decided to wait until she was done before trying to rest. Until then, he opted to stay leaned against her. It was then he noticed he had stopped shivering. He wasn't sure when that had happened, but it was nice to have that over.

 

(Toriel)  
His reaction was more than she could have wished for, and joy at her success in restoring some happiness in him flooded through her. That little smile and laugh felt more rewarding to get out of him now then perhaps ever before, and the sound of it practically made her soul sing. It also brought back that warmth again, the warmth of her love for him. And it was a warmth she dared to believe he shared in that moment, given the blush that covered his face and the deeply fond shining of his eyelights.

 

It was another moment where she almost dared to bring up the nature of their relationship again, a relationship they constantly danced around and he especially seemed avoidant of, despite showing in moments like these that he surely returned her feelings. But now was not the time for that, and she was able to push that thought away rather easily, happily trading it for the contentment that came with seeing some happiness on Sans' face again. When he polished off the rest of his pie, snapping it up into his jaws, he seemed far more confident in it, not showing the signs of the self-consciousness that he had before. And the wagging of his tail against her wrist only made her smile all the more.

 

On top of all that, his fitful shaking had finally ceased as well, leaving him seeming far more relaxed than before. She gave him a light squeeze with the arm still looped around his shoulders and then finished off her own pie as well, finding it sort of fun to eat it in such a silly manner. She licked her lips once she'd finished, ridding her face and exposed fangs of any lingering crumbs or filling.

  
Beside her, Sans let out a yawn, his jaws opening wide and the bottom of his transformed jaw opening and spreading out in a fascinating display before shutting closed again with a soft click. She again found it both intriguing and endearing, and then felt herself yawn a bit in response as well, hiding the action a bit by instinct with a paw. It was a good sign that they should both take it easy for a bit. Once it passed, she gently took the now empty plate from Sans and her own and set them aside on the small side table beside the couch. Then she turned back to him, considering what she was about to say carefully.

 

It might be a bit risky of her to offer, but given the fact he so clearly enjoyed the close contact and shows of comfort she'd been offering him, despite his self-hatred driving him to resist it, she figured it was worth proposing. She grabbed his pillow from before and set it in her lap before giving it a few meaningful pats.

 

“Come now, my friend, how about you lay down? I am sure you will be more comfortable this way.” She said, with a warm, inviting smile.

 

She also continued lightly rubbing his arm in a more purposeful manner, a silent sort of offer to keep doing the same in order to hopefully soothe him to sleep.

(Sans)  
Seeing her eat like that was interesting, but when he saw her lick her lips he wondered if he had pie on his face. There was no real way for him to check, so he figured if he did, Tori would tell him. He let her take his plate and watched as she set them aside. He was figuring out where and how he wanted to sleep when he saw Tori put the pillow he used before on her lap. As she patted it, he felt his soul leap within him while at the same time his mind started to shut down as too many thoughts raced at once.

 

His tail tightened its grip as the wag also increased it's speed. More magic entered his face, as he looked up at Tori, trying to figure out if there was some other meaning than the one he thought she meant. When no other possible answer came to mind, he reclined with his head on the pillow. He looked up at Tori, seeing her from what felt like a whole new angle. It felt good and weird and as much as he wished it wasn't this... half form... getting this treatment, he wasn't about to turn it away. He sure hoped he wasn't taking advantage of this situation. He doubted it... but still, he felt so... happy right now.  
  
...  
He felt happy. He could hardly remember the last time he’d felt like this while in this half form. There was no way he could possibly repay her for all she had done today, but he could still make sure she knows. He smiled up at her, tail still subconsciously wagging as he spoke.

 

"thanks, tori... for everything." He looked away for a moment before looking back at her, his voice sounding more sober as he said, "really... thank you."

 

He decided to avoid the details for now as he smiled back up at her, wanting her to stay positive. She seemed so happy as well, he didn't want to ruin it by dragging her thoughts back to the darker things his mind often dwelled on. More thoughts went through his mind but they started to become scattered, incoherent even. He struggled to find some order to them only to notice his sockets were half closed and his vision was blurred. He yawned again, and then sleep quickly overtook him.

 

(Toriel)  
It seemed her gamble had paid off, and she had been quite right in her assumptions of how he'd enjoy the offer. Even during his moment of hesitation, where that blush colored his face and his eyelights wavered with indecision, his tail wagged and squeezed her tight, showing his true eager approval of the idea. She could tell it had made him happy, happy enough that he allowed himself to accept it. Her soul swelled with elation when he laid down in her lap, and the warmth inside her spread out until it felt as though it had enveloped her whole body.

 

She met his gaze when he looked up at her, so glad to see the happy shine of his eyelights there. He looked more at ease than he had the entire time she'd been there, and the smile he offered matched that sentiment as well. She found that, despite what he likely thought, he wore a smile well in this other form. It was different, but still so sweet and so undeniably _him_. He kept up that smile as he thanked her, only letting it fall just a bit to ensure the weight of his thanks was properly communicated. It stirred up her soul all over again, so incredibly happy to hear that she had indeed made a difference by being here for him, and that he sincerely appreciated it.

  
She was happy to reply to his thanks with a soft and equally earnest "You are most welcome, my friend." Before she tucked him more snugly under the blanket and started to run her paw down the length of his side in slow, soothing strokes.

 

It only took a short time after that for him to let out another yawn and then quickly slip into sleep. Little snores escaped him, carrying a slightly different tone to them, like they were mixed somewhat with the purring from before. His transformed limbs and tail also twitched a bit in his sleep occasionally. She found it all incredibly endearing, and it further fueled the warm smile on her face as she kept up those stroking motions.

 

Her endless questions and thoughts about the whole situation buzzed through her mind again like a hive of angry wasps, but her own quickly growing sleepiness kept them from manifesting into anything worthwhile. Eventually, she too was so soothed by the peacefulness he exuded that she leaned back a bit into the couch cushions behind her and drifted off as well, leaving one paw resting on top of his sleeping form and contently wrapped up in his tail.

 


	2. A Shift in Perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chunk of the RP has been edited to post-able format! Huzzah!~ Thanks so much for all your nice comments on the last part. Hope you continue to enjoy ^^
> 
> The players are: Paddiefrog and Topaz Shadowwolf
> 
> Characters played by  
> Paddie: Toriel, Frisk, Chara, Undyne, Flowey  
> Topaz: Sans, Papyrus, Gaster Blasters, Alphys

                  

 

(Papyrus)

  
Driving up to the house, Papyrus saw the familiar van that signaled that Lady Toriel was there. He smiled at that, he had prepared for her arrival and he was happy that his brother had not decided to change plans. It was plain to see that his brother and Toriel had strong feelings for each other. And yet both had yet to say or do anything that he knew of to express this to each other. He knew not to meddle too much other than playfully ribbing his brother or encouraging Toriel to come over when she calls so he can share his latest recipes. Which, thanks to Toriel's guidance and the instructions from the culinary teacher of the classes he takes every other week, he can say he has graduated passed making the finest pastas to other great dishes. His cooking must have gotten better, as dishes were emptying faster, seconds were being asked for, and he had less to put in his museum afterwards.The latter is a sad side effect of his greatness in cooking, but one he will accept as part of just being so great.

Parking his car next to the van, he put the top up, got out, grabbed his backpack with his engineering books, all the groceries (he was not one for making multiple trips), and made his way to the door. It wasn't easy, but he got the door open and began to announce, "I'M..." What he saw caused him to stop and he stood there, in shock.

His brother always said never to show that side of themselves to anyone. Papyrus didn't fear his like his brother did though, he had control over it. It was the cannon things that looked like that side of them that he didn't know how to control to his usual level of perfection. But, that's because they had minds of their own. He can control himself, both as himself and as a beast-self. Sans, though, had no control. Not of when he changed, of the beast, or even how far he changed. Knowing that, he wondered when this happened that his brother let Toriel see. Was she already here? If so, he felt a pang of sympathy. Considering her feelings for his brother, it could not have been easy to watch. But all that aside, why hadn't Sans texted him?... and why did his hands have to be so full that he couldn't take a picture? There his brother was, half changed and curled up on her lap. He looked happy...

"home..." the word came out softer then his usual bombastic self. A mix of hurt, from being unaware his brother had gone through this trauma without him, thankfulness someone was here for his brother, and joy softened his tone.

 

(Toriel)

  
One of Toriel's long ears twitched, reacting instinctively to an unexpected new sound nearby. Also by instinct, she began to slowly stir, shifting a bit and stretching her jaws open with a large yawn, so that her fangs were on full display. Afterward, she began to blink open her eyes, squinting against the light.

Once her vision began to return though, everything that had happened came back to her in a flash. That had her far more awake in moments, and she was more careful to stay still to ensure the transformed skeleton on her lap could remain asleep. The sight of him there brought a warm smile to her face all over again and her soul swelled with the same warmth. She gave him a few more light strokes across his back, wound her fingers up in his tail again and then finally lifted her head to look around. Something had to have woken her, and she doubted it had been him. It took only a second or two to spot Papyrus there and she immediately stiffened up a bit, feeling for some reason like a disobedient child caught doing something they shouldn’t.

That feeling faded quickly though into something more akin to just a flusteredness, with how truly intimate the little scene likely looked. A light blush appeared on her face, but she offered the younger skeleton a warm smile nonetheless, genuinely happy to see him.  
"Greetings Papyrus." She said, in a purposely soft but hopefully still audible voice.

A glance at his arms full of groceries and other bags made her wish to get up and help him, but her body was currently busy acting as a bed for a sleepy pile of bones. The brief fear that Papyrus would be just as shocked as she had been to see Sans' changed form rose up in her as well, but it was banished quickly by the expression on the younger skeleton's face as he looked their way. An expression that only made her blush deepen somewhat.

"Sorry, my friend, I would help you with those... but..." She ended the statement by trailing off, casting another fond glance down at Sans and running her paw down his back again.

 

(Sans)

  
Feeling Tori's hand move along his back caused the purr that had silenced to start up again as his tail tightened its grip shortly. He wasn't waking though, just his body responding to the subtle movement felt. The only other thing he did was nuzzle his face against her before sighing. After that he remained still. Years of living with Papyrus had adjusted him to be able to sleep through most things that would wake up anyone else. That, and pure exhaustion from disrupted sleep and changing forms.

 

(Papyrus)

  
"THAT IS ALL RIGHT!" Papyrus said as he moved toward the kitchen.

He might say that, but he still felt hurt. This isn't the first time that Sans hadn’t messaged him when he had randomly changed. But, he shouldn't think the worst! His brother had Toriel here this time, perhaps he was going to message him and simply forgot because he was just too smitten to remember. Papryrus set the groceries down and then walked back. It really was nice to see his brother like that... and it was nice to see Toriel accepting him so much better than he knew his brother thought she would. He had told him he was being silly. Still, someone needed to make dinner!

"I WAS GOING TO HAVE MY BROTHER HELP ME, BUT... like that... well..." his voice softens for a moment but he then brightens back up, "BUT FEAR NOT, IT IS NOT HARD TO MAKE. YOU STAY WITH HIM, AS YOU ARE, AND I'LL HAVE DINNER READY IN NO TIME."

He then paused, a nervous look crossing his face. Again his voice softened, "About how long has he been like that?" Papyrus worried about how long it will be before his brother will be changing back.

 

(Toriel)

  
Toriel's smile had softened as Papyrus spoke and walked into kitchen, glad he didn't seem panicked by his brother's transformation, and reasoning it must be something he was well aware of. She was also glad that he didn't call too much attention to implications of Sans sleeping on her lap like this, allowing her more intense blush to fade back to a more comfortable warmth on her cheeks. Her smile warmed as well, as the sound of that delightful purring rumbled up from the sleeping skeleton and his tail tightened its grip endearingly on her wrist. He even nuzzled closer, an action that made her soul flutter a bit within her. It prompted her to continue the soft motions, doing her best to ensure they were light enough to not stir him from sleep.

Sans was a heavy sleeper, so she wasn't too worried about that, but she wanted to ensure he got as much rest as possible. When Papyrus mentioned making dinner, she offered him another somewhat apologetic smile but accepted his offer to stay where she was with another soft thanks. When his quieter question came however, it gave her pause, and worry bloomed within her soul again. How long had it been? She wasn't too sure. A glance out the window showed it was still light out, but the sky was starting to fade into the colors of evening. She faced Papyrus again with a bit of a worried expression.

"At least an hour or so... maybe longer" She confirmed, trying to piece together the exact timeframe. "I got here around 4, and he was already starting to... change when I arrived."

She looked down at Sans again, running her paw slowly down his back again as a concerned frown formed on her face.

"Is the process when he changes back... as painful as the initial transformation?" She asked, trying to keep her fretful thoughts from getting the better of her.

 

(Papyrus)

  
“Then he has a while longer...” Papyrus thought out loud.

It seemed odd that Sans would have changed now. He just had a full transformation three days ago. Something must have really spooked him to cause that to happen.

“As painful? Well, no... but it is still... bad for him. Oddly enough, it is when he changes back from a full blaster beast that he is in less pain.”

No, he can’t let himself sound down. For Sans and Lady Toriel’s sake. She was clearly worried, it was up to him to help her. Knowing his brother, he most likely dealt out only the most minimal information possible. He won’t say everything, but enough to keep her out of the dark. And, he will be his normal, upbeat self so she can have a smile to turn to.

“BUT WORRY NOT, I’M SURE THE TWO OF US WILL HAVE HIM FEELING BETTER IN NO TIME!” And with that he turned to the kitchen.

There might have been more she wanted to say to him, but Papyrus needed a moment. It’s going to be a long evening…

 

(Toriel)

  
Papyrus' words shot a harsh twinge of shock through her, causing her to momentarily pause in her stroking motions as her paws began to shake. The initial reaction had been one of sympathy and concern for Sans, knowing he'd indeed have to suffer in part to return to his usual form. But the shock that was gripping her now was due to second thing Papyrus had mentioned.

 _"A... FULL blaster beast?"_ she thought, eyes widening.

The idea made her head spin, and it made her realize her earlier suspicion that she had brushed off had been true. This form was only a halfway point. Then... the inevitable question was... what did the full thing look like? And was it even more feral and animalistic than this form? She tried to picture such a form, and her imagination ran wild with imagines of skeletal dragons and boss monsters and mixes of beasts of all kinds. Her eyes locked on her dear friend's peaceful, happy, sleeping form, and her soul continue to be ravaged by confusion and fear on his behalf.

Her mouth opened to ask Papyrus more, or to clarify, but the younger skeleton had already retreated into the kitchen, leaving her alone with this new revelation. Her soul stirred fast within her, but she refocused her efforts on gently stroking the transformed skeleton in her lap, if only to help herself to calm down. She willed her frantic thoughts into submission again, forcing back the panicky questions in order to bring back some order and logic to her mind.

She could handle this, after all, once she really thought about it, it perhaps wasn't as bad as she first considered. Papyrus had said after all that transforming back from the full thing was not a painful process, so maybe turning into the full thing was rather painless as well. Perhaps he only suffered when he resisted and became this half-form. It wasn't exactly a comforting thought, but it was better than her first instinct, surely. But she also couldn't help but wonder what this all meant, how Sans had kept it a secret from them all this time, why he was so hateful of it and why this happened to him at all?

But she would find no answers for the moment, for any of those questions, so she resigned herself to simply continuing in her acts of comfort and trying to make sense of what she could. As she did, she tightened her grip lightly on his tail and her soul ached for the secret suffering of the monster she loved.

 

(Sans)

  
As Papyrus started cooking, and the food smells filled the air, Sans started to wake. It was a slow process, his mind hazy with sleep. He felt warm, comfortable, and safe. If it wasn’t for the nagging hunger he would have wanted to drift back to sleep. His mind reviewed the past events and while he thought he weakly rubbed at his closed sockets. Memories came back to him and he looked up at Tori. He was curled up on her lap... the lap of the monster he was in love with. And he was in his partial form, yet she didn’t seem to mind. There were sounds in the kitchen and he figured it had to be Papyrus, which means his bro saw them like this...

Sans was sure he was never going to hear the end of this. Speaking of which... he wondered if he should be getting off now that he was awake, not that he wanted to. Tori is good at indicating what she would like though.

 

(Toriel)

  
When Sans began to stir from sleep, no doubt in response to the delectable smells beginning to waft from the kitchen, Toriel couldn't help but feel a pang of nervousness. A good deal of it was assuaged when he looked up at her, engaging in all sorts of endearing sleepy mannerisms, but a hot coil of anxiety continued to burn within her soul. She still managed a warm smile down at him though and ran her paw over his back a few more times, hopefully communicating he was free to stay in place if he wished. He didn't look as utterly embarrassed as she had expected by the fact he was waking up the way he was, and that was relief for both their sakes.

"Greetings lazybones." She teased lightly, moving her paw in a meaningful circle where she assumed his shoulder blades were. "How are you feeling? Papyrus is home now, he is in the kitchen making us all some dinner."

She wanted to mention the other meaningful thing Papyrus had done since arriving, what he had told her, but figured it could afford to wait until he was bit more awake at least. She would not hide her newfound knowledge, as she knew that would be hypocritical and detrimental to them both in the long run, but she wanted to be careful how she broke the news. Sans clearly hated this other form with a deep intensity, there was little hope he'd be pleased to find out that she knew the true extent of it, at least in part.

 

(Sans)

  
He felt Tori’s paw move along his back and he relaxed again. She was fine with him staying, or so he figured that meant. He soaked in the feeling, relaxing enough to feel his purr in his bones.

“heya,” He replied, “i’m feeling better. hungry, but better. And whatever pap is making smells great.”

He couldn’t help but think something was off. As content as he was feeling, he wasn’t sure Tori was as she seemed before he fell asleep. Was something upsetting her? Did he say or do something in his sleep? Was something wrong with Papyrus? He wasn’t sure how to ask but the many questions swam around his skull. For now he just sat up, staying on her lap, and see what he can figure out.

“what about you?” His head tilted, mirroring his curiosity.

 

(Toriel)

  
His question made her flinch ever so slightly, realizing he must have picked up on her unease. She could see that in his eyelights, shining with curiosity and a touch of concern. She worried her lip with her fangs as she considered how to answer, fear at how he would take the news wrapping around her soul. A soft sigh escaped her, and he met his gaze with a somewhat worried expression.

"I... I am okay, my friend. But..." She paused one more time, casting a brief glance towards the kitchen. "I do feel like I need to tell you... when Papyrus got home... he told me... he told me more about what is happening with you. I did not ask him to, but he did tell me and I am sorry if you did not wish me to know. He told me that this form is only a halfway point of sorts, and that there is a ‘full’ form that you sometimes become. That is all."

She hesitantly reached forward to lay a paw on his shoulder and give it a light squeeze, hoping he saw it as reassurance of everything she'd said to him leading up to this.

"I promise that I will keep this knowledge to myself... and I am sorry Sans. I am sorry you have been suffering all this time, and that you and Papyrus have had to hide this. I... hope I can continue to help in some way."

 

(Sans)

  
He looked down at his hands. The self loathing ripped at him again as she spoke. She now knew the extent of this. That this was just a preview. Her touch on his shoulder was nice, supporting, but not that effective at the moment. He just plastered on a smile for now.

“ah, yeah, heh,” he then shrugged, “pap has control of his form. guess he can show you so it won’t be a surprise if... but if i do change, fully...”

His body started to tremble. He couldn’t keep up he act anymore, not that he thought Tori fell for it anyway.

“i-if I do... change into that... don’t stick around... it’s not me. i... i can’t c-control... or remember what it does.”

By the time he finished saying that, his bones were rattling, and not quietly either.

 

(Toriel)

  
Seeing him shake like that broke her heart, and his fearful plea, only more so. The true weight of what he was saying struck her hard too, confirming a good deal of the worst theories that had been swirling about in her mind. Sans, her dearest friend, her beloved... He had been transforming into what sounded to be a creature totally unlike himself, with no control of it. She could hardly imagine how terrifying that must be for him... but she could now begin to understand where all the hatred he had for this was coming from.

And Papyrus... he endured this too, seemingly with less pain than Sans but... The thought of all this made it feel like her soul was twisting more and more within her. But beyond that, her love and compassion burned stronger, as it should, even in situations like these... no, especially in situations like these.

With the way he was shaking enough to rattle like that, the pain and self-hatred in his eyelights. She simply couldn't bear it, and she couldn't let him think that this would make her fearful of him, or compromise any of her love for him, however he chose to interpret that love. So, in what was an act of impulse, she wrapped him up in her arms in a hug and held him close, running a paw down his back again.

"Alright, alright..." She soothed, resting her cheek against his skull. "I understand, my friend. And I am sorry Sans, I am so sorry."

 

(Sans)

  
Sans couldn’t bring himself to look at her still, he didn’t want to see the concern or worry, and definitely any possible sympathy or pity. All of those would just add to how pathetic he felt.. If he didn’t already feel like he was breaking under all of this, he would have been shocked by the hug. He was surprised by it, but he just leaned into her and tried to pull himself back together. He really hated that he was laying all of this on her.

Conflicted, he covered his eye sockets with his hands. She deserves so much better, and not this mess now trying not to shiver to pieces on her lap. “s-sorry, t-t-too,” he said, a whine added to it. He just stayed leaning against her. There was no way he could possibly repay this kindness. And there was no way, in his mind, he deserved it. Still, he fought to calm himself, slowly ending his shivering and rattling.

 

(Toriel)

  
Toriel was glad when he didn't pull away, but that certainly did not mean her act had been enough to dull the pain consuming him. She knew there was nothing she could say or do in this situation that would take away that pain, the fear, or any of the tormented emotions that came with his situation. But she could at least hold him like this, and offer him what comfort she could until the immediate distress this realization was causing him had passed. So she settled back a bit with him in tow, tucked his transformed skull beneath her chin and continued to lightly rub his transformed back, murmuring soft reassuring nonsense all while.

Her fingers curled around his section of his tail still tightly curled around her wrist again as well, including it in the tight embrace. She even began to rock them both a bit by instinct without even realizing it, swaying ever so slightly from side to side. Her soul swelled with emotion, and she wanted more than anything right then to tell him of her feelings, but she knew what that would likely lead to, and she knew it just wasn't the right time.

So she resigned herself to just keeping up her gentle shows of comfort, waiting for him to break from the embrace on his own terms. If he got any sort of comfort from her actions, if it made him feel even just a little better about any of this, than she was happy to remain that way as long as he wished. And perhaps, given the way his fitful shivering was beginning to steadily slow, her efforts were already beginning to pay off.

 

(Sans)

  
The rocking tugged at old memories, times of distress and comfort. Oddly enough, he found that to be the most relaxing thing she could do. As much as he could stay like this for the rest of the evening, he won’t let himself get too used to this. He doubted Tori felt the same way he did. He was sure she liked him. He saw evidence of that. But he wasn’t convinced she loved him like he loved her. Even if she did, he couldn’t imagine having a real relationship now that she knew.

Either way, if he got too comfortable with this, it will be more difficult for him later. After he pulled away he, he sat there wondering what to do next. Was there anything he could say or do that would bring her any amount of comfort about this? Well, if in doubt, he could bring up Papyrus again.

“papyrus actually likes changing and I think he’d like to show someone...” he trailed off the explanation.

He knew Paps really wanted to show Undyne, but that fish monster would surely be bugging him about his. Sans didn’t need Undyne trying to fix him or use that thing he turned into.

A dull ache in his back signaled that he will soon start changing back. His grin tightened now that he had that to worry about. And Tori still didn’t seem ready for more trauma, yet he was sure he was underestimating her. No offense was meant as he climbed off her lap. He didn’t want to risk scratching her as changed back.

 

(Toriel)

  
When he did pull away, she met his gaze again with a sad smile, hoping that he at least felt a little better now. His shaking had stopped, so that was a relief at least, and he had seemed content with her actions while they'd lasted, so that let her relax again as well. He still had a rather dejected look in his eyelights, along with everything else, and that led her soul to continue to ache a bit for him, but she tried to keep a small smile on her face, just to show she wasn't too distressed over this news. She hoped he at least was more assured now that this would not drive her away from him.

She was surprised somewhat when he mentioned Papyrus, and more so when he mentioned he liked changing. Did that mean that his transformations were essentially painless? The unfairness of that struck her, harder than it should have perhaps, but she understood he was changing the subject to attempt to lessen her own strife, the dear. So she played along, for his sake.

"Oh... really? Well that is... good I suppose.” She said, hesitantly. “But he does not have to show me if he does not wish to. You both have already been more than open enough with me about all this, and I appreciate that. I have no reason to pry further. I trust that you both will tell me if there is anything more you wish me to know."

When he moved off her lap, and she caught the flash of pain in his expression, she knew what must be coming. She shot him a sympathetic look, glad when her voice remained calm and gentle.

"Are you... starting to change back?" She asked softly, in a way that communicated her understanding. "Can I do anything to help? Or do you need some space, my friend?"

 

(Papyrus)

  
Plates in hand, Papyrus walked out to start setting the table when he heard Toriel's question. It caused him to pause as he looked at his brother. More than used to this, he could see the signs of distress on his brother’s face that signaled that he was indeed about to change back. He set the plates down, knowing it was time for him to do his brotherly duty. He will give his elder sibling a chance to state what he needs are, but he wouldn't be surprised if what he says and what he actually needs turns out to be two different things. Luckily for Sans and Lady Toriel, he was well versed in how to care for his brother.

 

(Sans)

  
By now he should know there is no need to feel guilty over this, yet he couldn't hold back that feeling. Looking down, he tried to keep himself under control, he didn't want to show her the stress that was building up inside of him. After taking a deep breath, he sighed, and nodded, confirming that he was soon going to be changing back. It was nice that she wanted to help, and it warmed his soul a bit with that thought, but he just couldn't risk possibly hurting her. It was bad enough that she was clearly hurt emotionally over this. So, as much as he wanted to cling to her for support he shook his head.

"not really... uh... space would be best i think..."

 

(Papyrus)

  
Sure enough, his brother proved his suspicions to be correct. He walked closer, hands on his hips. Even if his brother was scared and soon to be in pain, that gives him no right to lie to the one that he not only loved, but who loved him back.

"THAT'S NOT TRUE, AND YOU KNOW IT." He then turned to Toriel, he didn't care if his brother was going to be upset with him, this was for his own good. "HE NEEDS SUPPORT AND GENTLE COMFORT. BECAUSE OF THE... well... the pain...."

Papyrus' expression softened. Either change worried him. His brother was just so fragile in comparison. He knew how changing affected himself, and that was without all trauma his brother went through. Still, he needed to finish that thought before his brother starts trying to deny it.

"EVERYTHING MUST BE DONE SOFTLY. AND MIND HIS TAIL AND CLAWS. HE ACCIDENTLY SCRATCHED ME AND HASN'T FORGIVEN HIMSELF SINCE."

 

  
(Sans)

  
Sans should have known, with his brother being home, that Papyrus wasn’t going to just sit by quietly. He winced at the words being said, knowing he had been caught. With some hesitation Sans looked up at Tori, unable to contradict his younger sibling and having to face the truth of the matter. His tail, still wrapped around her wrist, gave a small squeeze, confirming Papyrus’ words to be true while allowing him to remain silent. He didn't want to shiver again, but his body wasn't going to cooperate, at least it wasn't as severe as before. Still, the feelings building up within him were getting to be too much.

 

(Toriel)

  
She was about to accept Sans' answer to her question without argument, trusting he knew what was best in this situation. But then Papyrus came into the room and declared that Sans most certainly did not know what was best for him, or at least, he did and denied it. It had been another lie from him, another attempt to spare her feelings. That thought brought some frustration to her again, but she kept it as under control as she could manage. Sans couldn't be expected to drop all his acts after a few hours with her after all. It was as the old saying went "old habits die hard."

But now that she knew the truth, and felt his tail squeeze at her wrist, his silent form of confirmation, she wouldn't let him deny himself the comfort he needed out of fear. She nodded to Papyrus, both as a thanks and as an acknowledgment of his advice regarding Sans' claws and tail. She faced Sans with a look of gentle understanding, but one with some firmness there as well, hopefully communicating to him that she was not going to let him dissuade her from helping again. She thought for a moment on how to best address this, seeing signs that the pressure in him was mounting.

Then, fairly quickly, she grabbed the other blanket that was lying on the couch and laid it over her shoulders, hoping the extra layer of padding would make any potential pokes and scratches from his claws less... pokey. Then she scooted over closer to him, wrapping an arm lightly around his form and encouraging him to lean into her.

"Hold on to me Sans." She said gently, assuming that is what he would like to do in this situation. It was certainly what she likely would want had she somehow been subjected to this.

"Just curl your claws up as much as you can into the fabric here." She said, patting her covered shoulder area. "And try to keep your tail wrapped up around my wrist until it goes away, squeeze it as much as you need. I will be fine, I promise. I am much more durable than most monsters. And do not worry even if you do nick me a bit with your claws. I get myself with these pesky things all the time, I am more than used to it, can patch it up no problem at all." She said the last part in a more causal tone, raising a paw in a somewhat playful manner as she spoke and displaying her own fully extended claws, nearly as sharp looking as his own.

Then her gaze softened again and she retracted the claws before running a paw slowly down his now lightly shivering back, the other set about rubbing at his soon to be be gone tail between her fingers in the manner she knew he enjoyed. All done especially gently this time, minding Papyrus' advice.

"Please Sans, I know you do not want to suffer through this alone. I will help you through this, if you will let me. I know that you would do the same for me or Papyrus if we were in such a situation and asked for your help, would you not?"

 

(Sans)

  
Sans watched Toriel put the blanket over herself and listened to her instructions. When she fully extended her claws, he was surprised. He knew her claws could extend and had seen them do so a little before, but not to the full extent and so close. Or at least, not in a way that they are right there in front of his face. As she continued, saying they were 'pesky' he grinned slightly, understanding. Still, he thought about fighting her on it one last time. One more attempt to avoid any possible risks that could come to her, but he knew he was outnumbered. Any argument he could come up with, she or his bro will counter.

That's when he heard her last question. He fought against the tears entering his eye sockets. He had always been happy it was him that suffered this way and not Pap. But... what if it was his little bro? There was nothing Papyrus could say that would keep him from helping. And the idea of seeing Tori suffering this way was not something he wanted to think about. He tried offering a smile, an act of appreciation for their efforts and care, but stress pulled it tight.

"i'd help you..." he was frustrated with how weak his voice sounded, but there was little he could do about that. Turning his gaze from Tori, he looked over to Papyrus, wanting to make sure his little bro knew Sans didn't feel betrayed, "both of you...."

With that declared he turned back to the monster before him. There was still a feeling of worry to fight against, and he really feared the worst. He just saw in his mind all the worst scenarios that could come of this. Still... if the roles were switched, he'd want to help her all he could. At first, he started to slowly reach out to hug her, but a sharp pain traveled up his legs and he practically collided with her. He clung on, the blanket fabric tearing a little as the claws dug in. He buried his face into the fur of her neck as he let out a soft whine.

 

(Papyrus)

  
Happy that his brother was quite literally in good hands, Papyrus just sat on the other side. He wanted to be there and ready if needed. But right now... right now it was just them. Truly, this is a job well done for the great Papyrus. But there will still be more to do... and unfortunately, most of his job will be just encouraging his brother.

 

(Toriel)

  
She was happy to see him smile a little in response to her comments regarding her claws, noting that finding ways to show he was not alone in the many quirks that came with his situation seemed to be an ideal way of comforting him in this state. That was something she vowed to keep in mind for the next time she encountered him in this form, whenever that may be. Seeing him tear up at her question made her soul pang for him, and especially more so when he replied in turn to the both of them, mirroring the kindness and compassion she knew was the true core of his soul. A kindness and compassion that he simply refused to show himself the way he did to others.

Her words had made a difference though, and sure enough, he finally accepted her help. In fact, he all but rammed into her in a sporadic little motion, clinging to her tightly through the layer of padding and burying his face against her neck with a quiet whining sound. She was bulky enough that the impact didn't phase her, but she was still a bit surprised. Given the pain he was in that she could now detect from his increasing tension though, she was able to quickly figure out the reason as to why. The pained little sound he made tore into her soul, and she had to steel herself with the reminder she'd likely be in for quite a bit more of that over the course of his reversion back to his normal self.

She had to be strong for him right now, for his sake. Without missing a beat, she tucked his transformed skull under her chin and closed her arms around him lightly, giving him the security of a hug but ensuring he could shift about easily should the transformation or the pain that came with it cause him the need to move at all. As she had before, she kept his tail in place around her wrist, and closed a few fingers around it to hopefully prevent it from wrenching free during the oncoming process and lashing about. She trailed her free paw up and down the shape of his spine in slow, gentle movements, making sure to exert only enough pressure for the strokes to register.

"I am here, Sans." She murmured softly to him, the words summoned by nurturing instinct.

When she felt Papyrus sit down beside them both, she shot the younger skeleton a sad sort of smile and corrected herself as she went on.

"We are both here for you. You are going to get through this. You are going to be okay."

With that, she steeled herself once again and prepared herself for the worst. No matter what happened, she wasn't going to leave his side.

 

(Papyrus)

  
It was never easy watching his brother change. Whether that be into the gaster blaster beast or back to his normal self. Something that was so easy for Papyrus himself... fun... welcoming even, was such torture for his elder brother. When Toriel gave him the smile, he smiled back, trying to mask his own sadness to be that ever beaming source of comfort. Still, he knew some of his own sadness leaked through.

And was that a bad thing? It just showed that he too cared, and right now... he thinks Toriel could use the support in knowing she is not alone in feeling sorrow for his brother's condition. He carefully touched his brother on his back.

"AS LADY TORIEL HAS SAID, YOU ARE IN THE CARE OF TWO MONSTERS WHO LOVE YOU." He may have added a little accent to the word love while shooting Toriel a knowing grin.

He then looked back at his brother, "WE WILL BE HERE FOR YOU, AND THEN WHEN YOU ARE FEELING READY WE WILL HAVE DINNER AND GET YOU TO BED."

 

(Sans)

  
He heard what they said, but listening to their words took effort, more effort then he really had the energy for. He felt Toriel's warmth though, and her strength. That, and the reassuring touch from his brother was enough to let him know he wasn't alone. He struggled not to tear up any more then he had, but it was a losing battle. He just hoped he didn’t completely soak Tori's neck, which he was sure she would think is a silly thing to stress about. Unlike before, when it was waves of pain, this is more of a steady pain, as his tired body tried to reshape itself to how it was before. His tail held tightly to Toriel, even as it started to reduce in size and length. Anytime his bones gave a louder pop or crack he clung tightly to Tori and tried to muffle the yelp, or cry as he became less beast like. He tried not to shiver, to keep his bones from rattling together, but at times he couldn't help it. Still, compared to before, this was not as bad.

 

(Toriel)

  
Papyrus' little quip when he emphasized the word "love" and shot a knowing look in her direction made her lose her concentration for a moment. She turned away from Papyrus with the softest little huff of embarrassment, feeling her cheeks heat up. She wasn't sure if it would be good or bad in this case for Sans to have heard that, but given his current predicament, she doubted he had the capacity to pay it any mind.

When his body gave that first louder pop, triggering a yelp from him and an increase in the terrible tension in his body, she was wrenched back to the situation at hand. She felt his tears falling faster into her fur on her neck as well, only adding to the pained sympathy she felt on his behalf. The transformation was truly beginning now, she could feel his body shifting and straining within her embrace, each crescendo of tension ending in a audible crack or pop as the bones changed, pulling inward to slowly restore him back to his usual self. It was indeed a slow process though, and one that came with no shortage of pain.

Every time his body would make a noisy bit of progress it caused him to cry out along with it, likely against his will. And each time he'd cling to her anew and try to muffle the sound by pressing his slowly changing muzzle hard into her fur.

She would reply in turn, offering up that same, soft, reassuring nonsense and making a soothing sweep down his back with a paw. She couldn't do much for his renewed shuddering and the painful rattling that only added to the sadness of the scene, for tightening her grip even a little may only make the pain increase. So she forced herself to keep with what she was told, even if she wanted nothing more than to squeeze him tight to ease his shaking. His tail ended up being the best way to track his progress with the changing, as it steadily receded and thinned out even as it continued to cling to her.

Part of her was somewhat sad to see it go, finding its presence on her wrist to be a comforting and endearing one, but that thought was lost among all the others focused on talking him through the experience, bit by bit.

"Easy now... There you go..." She continued to murmur encouragingly throughout it all. "You are doing fine Sans, it will be over soon. Just breathe, in... and out.... nice and slow."

She knew all her words were likely just fluff in the long run, knowing full well that he knew far better than she did how to get through this. But she couldn't stop the words from leaving her regardless. Perhaps in the end, they were for both their sakes.

 

 

(Sans)

  
Hearing her voice was enough for him. The words meant nothing as he continued to just cling to her. But as it neared the end he didn't even have the strength for that and his grip loosened. Every inch of him was sore, tired, and felt heavy. The last to finally disappear was his tail... first to show up, last to go. It had gotten too short to wrap around Toriel's wrist, but till then it hung on to her. Just as he had said, the marks his fangs had made disappeared before shrinking into nothing.

Once done, he just stayed where he was. He waited a moment, making sure there was nothing else that needed to happen before he finally sighed.

"thanks," he said softly, his voice heavy with the exhaustion he felt.

He tried to ignore how wet he had made Tori's neck, but he could clearly feel it. He felt his brother lightly rub his back to reassure him. It did feel nice to have his bro there along with Tori. Both were walking, talking forces of all things good and worth living for in his world. And both seemed to care for him for some reason he couldn't explain. Speaking of care, there was still dinner to eat. Even with how hungry as he was, the pure idea of eating right now just sounded... tiring. Still, he knew he should eat, he'd sleep better if he did.

Also, knowing his brother, he knew that staying with Tori like this was not something his brother will forget anytime soon. Papyrus was too nice to use this as a sign of love, but that doesn't mean he won't be thinking it. He should sit back, give Tori her space. But he just didn't have the energy for that right now. That, and still he ached from the entire process. So, instead he just stayed there, letting them decide what to do with him.

 

(Papyrus)

  
His expression looked sorrowful through the whole process. No matter how many times he sees this, it always feels like the worst. Where they still getting worse? He tried to shake off that thought as he stayed with them. He added to Toriel's words of encouragement with words of his own like "ABSOLUTELY, THERE'S NOT MUCH MORE TO GO", "YOU'RE DOING WONDERFULLY", or "It will be okay Brother."

His own sockets started to fill with tears early on and he tried to sound stronger then he felt. Once it all seemed done he sighed in relief and looked up at Toriel, smiling at her in a form of thanks for her efforts in this. He really did hope this was a sign of things to come. That Sans would open up more to her. He needed someone he could open up to. While Papyrus tried offering himself, as there is much even he, in all his greatness, cannot remember, his brother never did. Toriel though, had a way to get him to talk, and he was sure it was because Sans was, un-admittedly, smitten with her.

If his brother did talk about this more, maybe he will learn more about himself and also learn to accept himself. That was one of the things that bothered Papyrus so much. No matter what he did or tried, his brother still seemed to just... hate himself. And that… hurt.

 

(Toriel)

  
It was over at last, and Toriel breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Though she knew it hadn't taken all that long, it had still felt like an eternity to her. Sans croaked out a quiet thanks after the last bit of his tail receded, signaling the end. He was still now, but she could tell that was more from exhaustion than anything else. He laid against her like a dead weight, as though every bit of his strength had been drained from him per the experience. When he made no effort to move, or do anything really, Toriel shifted her arms more tightly around him.

In truth, with the way her soul was aching for him and burning with a need to comfort him, she didn't really want to separate from him. There were...other feelings driving that as well, but focusing on such things felt selfish right now, as well as a little embarrassing with Papyrus right there next to them. She carefully moved the small skeleton then so that he was sitting sideways on her lap and guided his skull to be pillowed against her shoulder, away from the wet spot on her neck he'd created.

Then she wrapped one arm around his middle, holding him close and giving him a little squeeze to hopefully communicate that he was free to stay where he was. He likely couldn't move much right now even if he wanted to, but hopefully it would ease his mind about the idea at least. She used the blanket with a few new notable tears in it to dry off the spot on her neck a bit, before tenderly brushing it once under Sans' eye-sockets, ridding them of any lingering moisture.

Satisfied then, she pulled the blanket that he was still partially wrapped in around him more snugly again, returning him to the sort of "blanket-cocoon" she had first found him in. Only after all that did she rest her chin back atop his skull and speak softly to him.

"You are most welcome dear, think nothing of it." She murmured. She instinctively went to rub this tail between her fingers again, and was a touch disappointed when she remembered it was gone. The next best thing would be to do the same with one of his hands but... She dared another glance at Papyrus, feeling herself blush a bit again. She couldn’t read his expression really, and was somewhat surprised to see something akin to pain there as he stared at his brother.

Though… maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise. She needed to ask something of him but she wanted to extend her comfort to him as well if she could. She freed a paw briefly to rest against the younger skeleton’s arm, giving it a hopefully comforting squeeze before she spoke again.

"Papyrus, my friend, do you think you could fix him a plate of what you have prepared and bring it here? I know eating on the couch is a little... uncouth, but I think it will be much easier for him right now."

 

  
(Papyrus)

  
It helped him to see Toriel treat his brother with such love and care. He smiled as he watched and felt more at ease. Even with her horrible taste in jokes... -well, definitely with her horrible taste in jokes, since his brother shares that- it was clear they were a good match. Both were very caring in their own way, and considerate. Toriel was very straight forward with it, almost overbearing. His brother, on the other hand, was very subtle with how he showed his care. To the point that those who weren't paying attention would falsely believe he didn't care. He did care...

It was just that something, at some point, made him give up on many things. But not everything. Papyrus didn't even notice how lost he was in his own thoughts of his brother's pain, until Toriel placed her hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to the present. It was time for him to act, and she reminded him of that. His brother needed food, he was magically spent. With a new sense of responsibility he nodded.

"THAT IS QUITE ALRIGHT, LADY TORIEL. WHILE I USUALLY INSIST THAT WE EAT AT THE TABLE, AFTER SUCH MOMENTS AS THIS, WE TEND TO EAT ON THE SOFA. IT IS SOFTER AND BETTER IN THE CASE WE FALL ASLEEP." He then glanced away, "EVEN THOUGH MY TRANSFORMATION IS CONSIDERABLY EASIER, I STILL FEEL TIRED AFTER. THOUGH... not to that extent."

He then sprang to action, jumping up and moving off to the kitchen. He had prepared mango chicken tacos, but that would be too difficult for his tired brother to eat without making a mess. After some thought, he grabbed some corn chips, thinking of making Sans' plate into a salad/dipped version, with the chips already sorted out with the chicken, mango salsa, and other fixings on top.

He thinks his teachers would be proud of how well he was able to improvise. And with everything already prepared like this., it will be easier for Sans to eat. Provided he eats and not just sit there staring at the food. Though, with it easy like this, finger food that he just needs to pick up and put in his mouth, that increases the chance that he will eat.

 

(Sans)

  
Sans looked up at Tori as she cleaned the remaining tears off his face. He barely had the strength to light his eyes, or keep them focused. Even with the nap between transformations, and the energy from the pie, he just felt ready to curl up and sleep for a week.

He heard Tori say something to his brother, and with his hazy mind it took a moment to sort out the words into meaning. He was hungry, he needed to remind himself that. His eye sockets felt droopy. The warmth of Tori, along with the blanket wrapped around him, was adding to his already tired state of mind. He watched as his brother sped off to the kitchen. He then looked back up at Tori, he tried to offer a smile but he had no idea how it turned out, but it didn’t really feel like a smile. More like a odd, somewhat lopsided, grin.

“you’re going to eat, too, right?” he croaked in a weak voice.

Papyrus did cook whatever this was to show off his new learned recipe to her. He wanted to make sure she eats to and doesn’t just get focused on him.

 

(Toriel)

  
She gave Papyrus a thankful smile before he rushed off to the kitchen, thinking fondly on what a truly wonderful brother he was to Sans. Once he was gone, she looked back to the skeleton in her lap and was surprised to see he was looking at her. His eyelights were hazy and dull with exhaustion and she could tell he was struggling to keep his sockets open, and yet despite all that, he still attempted to offer her a smile.

Granted it was a weak, shaky, and somewhat crooked smile, but she appreciated the effort on his part nonetheless and shot him back a warm smile of her own. She blinked in response to his question and realized that she _was_ rather hungry, something an abrupt hunger pang from her soul was quick to remind her of. Goodness, that smell from the kitchen really was amazing…

Still, her need to eat was nowhere as critical as his, so for him to be worrying about such a thing... it was a little exasperating, but also touching, and the care behind it on his behalf colored it more in her mind than any frustration.

"Yes, I will my friend." She replied softly, giving his back a reassuring rub. "I am sure Papyrus wants me to try what he has made too, we are just going to ensure you eat first since you really need to restore your magic levels to something more stable. I will have some once I see you have some, okay?"

She paused for a moment, then another idea came to her and her grin became a touch playful again. "Or you could always share a little of whatever you get with me, if you feel so inclined~ I understand if you want to keep everything you goat to yourself, though." She quipped in a more jovial tone.

 

  
(Sans)

  
He noticed her reaction to the question and figured she had forgotten about her own self care for the moment. It seemed like a Tori thing to do, so he was happy he reminded her. He had no fight to argue with Tori about being fine and they could just eat at the same time. So he just accepted her idea with a simple nod. Her second idea caused thoughts to swirl around his skull.

Sharing food with tori did sound nice... but it seemed like something that couples are more likely to do. Her playful tone just added to that thought and his grin grew weaker. What blush his magic could manage would be the palest it had ever been. "heh," he had no idea how to respond to that and his tired mind was not helping at all. She most likely meant it in another way. Besides, she is clearly just teasing so it's not like she meant for him to answer her seriously.

The key point is she is not going to forget about herself in all of this, which he is happy about. He didn't want her to wear herself out looking after him. Sure, it is just the first day, but still... He tried thinking of something else. He didn't want to think anymore about the other form...

Papyrus returned balancing three prepared paper plates for them to eat from. Sans watched as his bro brought the food closer and he figured he should free his hands to take his own plate, but found that they were thoroughly trapped within the blanket. Papyrus just handed Sans' plate to Toriel while setting the others to the side for now.

 

(Toriel)

  
His reaction to her little joke made her feel a bit guilty, as he was clearly in no state of mind to match her in playful banter like usual. Plus, that tiny flicker of a blush on his cheekbones showed he had taken her words in a way she had not directly intended, and only now did she realize how bold it may have come off. It made a blush of her own start to burn at her cheeks, and she opened her mouth to say something in apology and wave off her suggestion, when Papyrus re-entered the room, a thankful distraction.

He was carrying three plates, two with tacos of some sort, and one with corn chips and colorful dip. They looked as delicious as they smelled, especially with her more sensitive nose. She must remember to compliment Papyrus properly later, he had certainly improved in his skills since the last time she'd tried his cooking if the scent was anything to go by. Her tongue briefly passed over the edge of her lips a bit, mouth already beginning to water. But she forced herself to look away from the food and focus back on the skeleton in her lap, reminding herself of what had to be given priority in this situation.

It was the plate laden with chips that Papyrus handed to her, even more delectable looking up close. She gave him a quick thanks before offering the plate to Sans. She held it for him at the optimal height and helped pull the edge of his blanket cocoon away so he could free a hand from it.

"Go on then, eat up." She said with a smile. "I will hold it still for you, then if you feel up to it you can hold it yourself after a few bites."

 

(Sans)

  
“ok,” He croaked, straining against a voice that was part of his worn and near depleted magic to make that small sound.

Normally, he’d stare at the food a bit, willing the energy to move. But with Papyrus and Tori here, he opted against that. Both of them had worried about him enough today. He tried to ignore how miserably shaky his hand was as he reached out and carefully picked up one of the chips.

The last of the beast’s instincts just wanted to shove his face into the plate. As much easier as that would be, he didn’t want to do that. Still, he leaned forward a little, shortening the trip his hand had to make, and ate. He didn’t know if it was his hunger, the fact he was used to eating inedible food, or if it was just how much Papyrus had improved... but it was wonderful.

He gave his brother a lazy grin and wink, before he continued, finding more strength as he ate, taking the plate once his hands calmed enough so the others would finally join him in this meal. It was awkward being the only one eating…

 

(Toriel)

  
Toriel felt immensely relieved when Sans began eating, showing he at least still had the strength necessary for that. It was disconcerting to see just how shaky his hand was when he reached it out to pick up the first few chips and eat them. With every bite of food though, he gained strength and the shakiness of his movements lessened. It was clear he was enjoying it all too, as he shot his brother a purposeful wink and grin.

Eventually he was able to take the plate from her and hold it himself, another great relief, even if she did admittedly kind of like holding it for him. Once he seemed situated, she looked back at Papyrus with a smile.

"Thank you, my friend." She said, warmly. "I think we should eat too now, yes?" She picked up one of the other plates as she spoke, resting it in a free spot on her lap. "What are these lovely dishes you have prepared us today? Some kind of tacos?"

 

(Papyrus)

  
He smiled as he watched his brother eat. It was good to see that he had the energy to eat right away, also he seemed to be enjoying the food. Good! He thought he did an excellent job with this dish. Once Sans had the strength to hold his own plate, Papyrus relaxed and decided to finally sit down next to Toriel.

"YOU ARE WELCOME, LADY TORIEL," He said with a bright smile, always happy to be helpful. "YES! I THINK THAT SOUNDS LIKE A WONDERFUL IDEA."

He was quite hungry himself. It had been a long time since lunch, and he had been trying not to eat too much today since he was planning on making this dinner then having a slice of whatever pie Toriel was sure to bring. He also was very eager to hear what Toriel had to say about his cooking, and this recipe!

"YES, IN FACT THEY ARE A CHICKEN TACO, SPECIALLY PREPARED TO MATCH PERFECTLY WITH THE FRESHLY MADE MANGO SALSA." Hopefully his description will sell it well.

 

(Sans)

  
Sans smiled as he listened to them. It was nice to hear them getting along. Not that they ever really didn't, but with them being the two most important people in his life, he couldn't help but feel his soul be warmed by moments like this. Plus, Tori saved his taste buds by starting to teach Papyrus and getting him to look for teachers other than Undyne. Lately, he's been finding himself feeling pity for Alphys, who's had kitchen fires every several months now. He watched Toriel, wanting to see how she reacts to his brother's creation.

 

  
(Toriel)

  
Toriel’s smile brightened as Papyrus described his dish, happy to see how excited and proud he was about it. The younger skeleton had talent, he had just needed the right instructor to help nurture that talent. Undyne was a pro in all things physical and stellar on the piano, but a chef she was not.

"Sounds wonderful." She replied, before finally letting her hunger be appeased and taking a bite.

The delicious flavor practically melted in her mouth and her eyes sparkled a bit as she chewed. Once she had swallowed, she shot him a wide smile.

"Oh Papyrus it is lovely! You made this all from scratch? You really are learning fast. Why I would not be surprised if you surpass me and your teachers in due time." She complimented him before taking another bite, this time chewing slowly to really savor the lovely mix of flavors.

 

(Sans)

  
Seeing Tori's reaction, Sans grinned and looked over at his brother next. Papyrus set his plate down and put his hands on either side of his face. His eye sockets lit up as magic sparked in them.

"REALLY? YOU THINK SO?" The skeleton asked, looking like he was just given the greatest honor in the world.

Sans loved seeing his brother happy like that, and he was happy Tori was able to shower his brother with the praise he was too tired to give. Plate empty, and feeling better, he settled back and watched them eat.

This was nice... he'd almost wish everyday could be like this. Well, minus all the pain and transforming of course. He thought about that to himself as the world around him started to fade out.

 

(Papyrus)

  
Hearing the familiar sounds of his brother sleeping, Papyrus looked over at him and sighed. Then looked down at his food and finished eating. He had a question for Toriel, but was going to wait till after they were done with the tacos to ask. There was a chance she would have some for him, too. Though, Toriel does seem the type to respect Sans' privacy. He thinks that's another reason why his brother likes her. So many others get curious and start asking too many questions before his brother is ready to talk. Toriel, being secretive herself, understands his brother's want to not talk about everything. Though, not quite to his brother's extent.

 

(Toriel)

  
Papyrus' joyful response made Toriel smile even wider, even while she was still chewing yet another bite of savory taco. Once she swallowed though, she let the smile bloom in full and gave him a nod.

"Oh certainly! You just keep at it and I know you will continue to astound us with your skills. You have a real wonderful talent."

After that, it didn't take her long to finish up the rest of her dinner, enjoying it down to the very last bite. Only then did she notice Sans had fallen asleep in her lap, his empty plate resting at an angle where his grip had loosened on it. She gently picked up his plate and set it aside along with her own. Then she tucked him against her shoulder in a more comfortable position again with a fond smile.

His soft snores vibrated against her, now a gentler pitch than when he was in his other form. Poor dear, at least now he was finally getting the sleep he deserved. She could hardly imagine how tired he must be after that whole ordeal. She ran a paw gently down his back again by instinct, red eyes filled with fondness, before remembering Papyrus was watching and looking back at him with a slightly sheepish smile.

"Thank you again Papyrus, for everything." She said in quieter tone, looping her arm more snugly around Sans. After pausing a moment, unsure if she should say anything, she let one other statement slip. "I am sorry that... you two have been going through this alone. I hope I was of some help today... and can continue to be going forward."

 

(Papyrus)

  
Papyrus couldn't help but grin at Toriel as he saw how gently and lovingly she treated his brother. They were both so happy together, it was just a matter of getting them to understand that. When Toriel looked at him, he again gave her that knowing look he knows drives his brother crazy. He knew. Papyrus was observant of those he knows. He looks for the good in everyone, it was just something he did. And loving his brother the way she does, and the care his brother had for her was some of that good he saw.

It was just wonderful to see them actually doing something with that affection. It was a shame it took.... that to have it happen. But it works... He wasn't going to do anything more with Toriel other then that. It seems to be enough teasing. He also didn't want to scare her away from liking his brother either.

"WELCOME!" he replied to her thanks, then his smile dropped for her apology.

He sighed and looked away. He didn't often talk in such a quiet and calm manner. But, this was a matter that felt like his usual manner of speech was a bit too much.

"We... were told when we were young that it was better if only we know. Though I have wanted to tell my good friends, since I don't like lying to them, Sans still holds to that. The fact that changing became so... painful and..." different words rolled around in his head before he finally settled on "separated, didn't help him in wanting to talk about it with anyone. I think he worried someone would want to use our other forms for the war if we told... but you were a lot of help. It really means a lot to me, and I'm sure to him..."

 

(Toriel)

  
The return of that knowing look on Papyrus' face brought another blush to her own but she did her best to keep her expression even and not react, even as the tips of her ears turned a little red. As he went on though, any flustered feelings faded into sympathy and concern. She tightened her grip on Sans by degrees as Papyrus' words slowly settled on her soul.

Further understanding flowed through her, bringing a dull ache of pain with it. Still, a plethora questions sprung up in her mind, wanting to be spoken enough that it felt as though her tongue were being signed. She wanted to know everything, to understand it all in order to help the two of them as much as she could. But she held those questions back, adhering to her vow not to pry into this deeper. She knew Papyrus likely would be happy, even relieved to tell her everything. But doing so while Sans was asleep and unable to have any say in what was shared simply wasn't fair to him.

Even if it hurt her to know how many painful secrets he carried, she knew that he had to share them at his own pace. Getting anything further from Papyrus felt like an underhanded tactic of going behind her dear skeleton's back.

  
So she deflated a bit in resignation, simply accepting the fact she'd have to deal with the constant buzz of questions in her head. Papyrus' last words did offer some comfort though, and she was glad he felt that she'd made a difference by being here. Sans' thanks from earlier came back to her too, just before he had fallen asleep on her lap in his other form. Both sentiments warmed her soul and brought a soft smile back to her face as she cast a meaningful glance at the sleeping skeleton in her arms.

"I see... well... I am glad I could be of some assistance, my friend. And if you ever have need of further help or support regarding this in the future, you can always reach out to me, alright? That goes for you both." She said to Papyrus, voice still mindfully soft.

After a pause, she decided there was one thing she felt okay in asking. "Will he be... alright for the rest of the night?" She asked, slowly turning to meet Papyrus' gaze again.

 

(Papyrus)

  
He smiled in return to Toriel’s offer, feeling as though she would be a big help in the future. Especially if she gets his brother to open up more. And Papyrus could really use the support himself. Just knowing there is someone else to turn to...

Toriel’s last question caused him to pause. It actually tied very closely into his own worries at the moment. He glanced at his sleeping brother, mind filled with questions.

“Yes...” he finally said, though he didn’t sound even a little sure of himself. In theory his brother should be fine. They were always fine for about three weeks after a full change... but...

“it’s been a little off lately and I don’t know why. He didn’t happen to tell you why he changed, did he?” He couldn’t help but feel hopeful that Toriel might have some piece of useful information.

 

(Toriel)

  
Toriel picked up on the uncertainty in Papyrus' question and frowned a bit, a twinge of nervousness gripping her. If even Papyrus was unsure about that... that was not a good sign. And the idea of this terrible ordeal Sans was enduring being "off" from the norm in any way was especially troubling. His question didn't ease her nerves either, as she could only shake her head in response.

She had found Sans in the midst of transforming, and he had not once mentioned what triggered it to start. She had not even been aware such a thing could be started due to an outside trigger at all.

"No, he never told me what had caused it to happen and I was a bit too panicked at the time to even think of asking. All he said was "this happens sometimes." He also mentioned having a cold but... I am almost certain that was just an attempt to hide what was really happening to him." She paused again, before willing herself to ask another question, figuring Papyrus would speak to the fact anyway. "What sort of things... can trigger something like this?"

 

(Papyrus)

  
Papyrus dragged his hand down his face. Of course, what else did he expect from his brother who won’t even call him when this happens? And he very well couldn’t blame Toriel. She had no idea, and his brother was most likely trying to get her to leave him the whole time. Or until the ex-queen, whose strong will has now become part of her fame, made it clear to him she was going nowhere. He didn’t know this for sure, but knowing them that just felt right.

And then there’s his brother, most likely trying to hide his changing form, bones getting ready to creak and crack and he’s trying to pass it off as a cold. TYPICAL! Her question dragged him out of his frustration. He didn’t see any harm in answering that one.

“A COUPLE OF THINGS, BUT MOSTLY STRESS, FEAR, FEELING THE NEED TO DEFEND OURSELVES. LAST YEAR, WHEN UNDYNE INVITED ME TO THAT ‘HAUNTED HOUSE’ AND I DECLINED, SAYING I NEEDED TO MAKE SURE SANS PASSED OUT THE CANDY AND DIDN’T EAT IT HIMSELF. I WAS JUST AVOIDING A POTENTIAL SITUATION WHERE EVEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WHO HAS MASTERFUL CONTROL OF THIS OTHER FORM, COULD LOSE THAT CONTROL. NOT THAT I THINK SUCH A CHEAP SCARE COULD HAVE CAUSE THAT, JUST... why risk it?”

He pauses then started to clarify.

“IT IS USUALLY EXTREME FORM OF THOSE FEELINGS, ENOUGH FOR THE OTHER FORM TO THINK WE ARE IN DANGER. OR IF...” he again paused and sighed before finishing, “we haven’t changed in over a month. I almost lost control during the one year reunion playing frisbee because it thinks chasing things is fun. So I went to color with Frisk at the picnic table. I usually do my full changes with Sans so he’s not alone, and he managed a full month and a week before changing. Which was nice but also made things that normally weren’t triggers... triggering. But that was during the reunion. We just had a full change 5 days ago.”

 

(Toriel)

  
Toriel took in all of Papyrus' words in silence, tightening her grip a little on the sleeping skeleton in her arms again. On top of the new realizations from Papyrus, little things Sans had done or avoided in the past came back to her, suddenly making far more sense than before. As more of it sank in, the worse she felt for them both. It just wasn't fair...

They shouldn't have had to put up with this all these years, especially alone. Constantly walking on eggshells and worrying that anything that startled them would send them turning into... whatever their full forms looked liked. And for Sans especially, who sounded as though he became an entirely different being when he fully shifted, with no control over his actions.

"I see..." She replied softly, red eyes growing heavy. She hated that that was just about all she could say. Her soul clenched up tight, wanting to bring sympathetic tears to her eyes, but she willed up some of her old royal composure, knowing that getting weepy over this would not help anything right now. Even though she succeeded, the pain within her soul still twisted tighter when she realized the weight of Papyrus' final statement. She ran a paw slowly down Sans' back again, looking somberly at his sleeping face as she spoke again.

"So something... must have really scared him for it to happen suddenly like this, so soon after a full shift, yes?"

 

(Papyrus)

  
“Yes... or something is wrong.... but I think he would tell me if that were the case. He’s scared of it enough as it is, to lose more control over it...” Papyrus sighed. “But if it is the former, I wish he’d tell me what was scaring him so much! But it is typical of him to keep that all to himself.”

Finally having someone to vent to about this felt good. And he was sure Toriel could relate to some of the things he just said. He gave Toriel a hopeful yet exasperated look.

“I JUST HOPE THAT THE TWO OF US CAN FINALLY GET THROUGH TO HIM!”

Toriel has been weighed down enough with all of this new information. It was time to build her confidence and let her know that they can work together on this. As happy as Papyrus was to have a partner in this, he wanted to make sure she didn’t feel as alone as he once did. So he brightened his smile...

He was almost as bad as his brother, wasn’t he? He knew he was far more open, and he’s not as good at lying or hiding information, yet he does hide himself behind enthusiasm. But then, making others smile makes him smile.

 

(Toriel)

  
Toriel hummed thoughtfully in her throat in response to Papyrus' reasonings, keeping up her gentle stroking motions as she considered what could have possibly been the culprit. Something frightening on the television? A sudden loud noise from somewhere? Or perhaps he had a... nightmare?

That last idea seemed to click most with her, Sans did sleep very often, the idea that he only ever had peaceful dreams was unrealistic, especially in light of all this in particular. She decided not to press further on the idea though, since there was very little that could be done about it that moment, but she kept it in the corner of her mind. When Papyrus addressed her again with that show of hope, she perked up a bit and faced him once more.

She did her best to offer a weak smile in reply, hoping it would be at least somewhat convincing.  
  
"I hope so too my friend." She said, with as much hope of her own as she could manage. "If you both are still okay with me staying the weekend, perhaps over the next few days we can at least get him to tell us what it was that caused this to happen, so it can avoided going forward. But I do think we need to be careful how we choose to approach this... I do not want to pry into this enough that it would upset him further or potentially make him want to avoid us."

She paused then, looking back to Sans with a heavier expression again. "Given what has happened though... Perhaps one of us ought to stay with him tonight, just to ensure he gets through it okay."

She worded the suggestion carefully, in that she was clearly offering herself for the role, but also giving Papyrus the welcome opportunity to insist on taking it on himself. Sans is his brother after all, she could fully understand if he was a little miffed at her at this point for trying to take over in such matters that she hardly understood in the first place.

 

(Papyrus)

  
The hope in her voice was weak, but there. Good. What she next suggested made him so happy. He was actually thinking about that himself. Papyrus was not going to intervene between Toriel and his brother, especially after his brother literally fell asleep on her twice. He just smiled big and grabbed the dirty plates..

“I’LL FETCH YOU TWO SOME PROPER BEDDING!” He said.

He could tell she had opened it up for him to be the one to stay with him. But... he wanted to encourage this. And he trusted Toriel, that much he wanted to make sure he makes clear. By allowing her to stay here and watch over his brother, it was a great way of showing it. He wanted to tease her about it, but decided not to. This is serious. Both her being Sans’ watcher and her feelings for him. While teasing can be fun, Undyne did teach him there is a time and place. And now was not it.

“I SHALL BE BACK,” he said and was ready to leave to throw away the paper plates and get the bedding. Though he thought to ask, “ANYTHING ELSE YOU MIGHT NEED?”

 

(Toriel)

  
Toriel blinked at how quickly Papyrus accepted her proposal, and watched him get up to carry away the trash without missing a beat. Though it brought her an instant feeling of relief to know he approved and trusted her, there was a also a harsh twinge of guilt that came along with it. Papyrus had been doing so much for her and Sans since the moment he got back. She felt like she had done nothing but sit here like a lump the whole time, even if she had been had helping Sans with his ordeal.

She made a silent vow to make it up to him somehow, maybe bake something extra special just for him while she was staying here. To his question, she offered a thankful smile but shook her head.

"No, thank you Papyrus. The bedding will be more than enough. Thank you so much, my friend. I promise to alert you if anything happens with him overnight." She paused momentarily and then met his gaze again as she remembered something. "Oh, and there still butterscotch cinnamon pie in the kitchen, if you would like a slice before bed."

 

(Papyrus)

  
Her offer for him to have some pie brightened his expression again. He was not overly fond of sweet things, but he had to admit, Toriel made some delicious pies. He felt silly now, thinking what Sans had made that one day was a quiche, but then, Sans' pie hadn’t looked all that... pie like. It had been a valiant effort oh his brother's part, though. Still, Papyrus had learned from her the wonders of baking, though he did prefer making more savory foods. While being a famous cook was still on his list of things to do, he felt that Toriel will always be the baker.

"I'D LOVE SOME PIE, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT!"

And with that he was out of the room, to clean up and get the bedding. He got Toriel some sheets and a clean blanket, plus some pillows with clean covers. Once he had a nice sized stack of things, he carried them down the stairs.

"IF YOU DON'T MIND STANDING WITH HIM FOR A BIT, I SHALL SET THE SOFA UP FOR SLEEPING."

 

(Toriel)

  
Toriel was glad when he accepted the offer of pie, happy she was able to feel as though she were giving something back for all he was doing for her. When he returned from upstairs with the bedding she nodded at his request. Very carefully, likely unnecessarily so, given how deeply Sans could sleep when he wanted to, she slipped her arms around him in a more secure manner and slowly got up from the couch.

She backed up from it a few steps to give Papyrus space to set up the makeshift bed for the two of them. As she did, the deeper thoughts about what she'd offered to do began to sink in. Even though it was purely to ensure her dear skeleton's wellbeing through the night, the fact remained that they were going to share a "bed" for the entire night. Napping together on the couch was one thing, but this was substantially more... intimate, at least in their case.

She tried to keep those thoughts from bringing another blush to her face, but didn't quite succeed. She willed herself to keep focused on the situation at hand though, not wanting any of her more selfish desires to poison her good intentions.

A passing thought was also spared towards the idea that she was going to sleep without properly changing and brushing her teeth, but she could afford that if it meant he got to stay snug and comfortable in her embrace like this, so long as she did both things promptly in the morning. With that settled, she became fully resolute towards her mission of sorts and waited patiently for Papyrus to finish his task.

 

(Papyrus)

  
To make sure there was plenty of space for them both, he took the back cushions off. He put down a bottom sheet over sofa then placed the pillows. Content there were no wrinkles, he then placed the second sheet and the blanket so Toriel had something to cover herself. Once done, Papyrus stood back and admired his handy work. Truly, even with this being a sofa, this was a place that Toriel and Sans shall be able to sleep well and have the most marvelous of dreams.

Content, he looked over at them and smiled. He didn't give her a chance to object as he threw his arms around both Toriel and Sans. He hugged them tightly, feeling so much love for the two of them. He most likely hung on a bit longer than he meant to, releasing when Sans stirred slightly as if he was finally disturbed enough to start to wake from his deep sleep. But he was happy to see his brother did not wake up, but nuzzled his face slightly against Toriel before going still again.

"THANK YOU, AND I HOPE YOU SLEEP WELL."

 

(Toriel)

  
Toriel was surprised by the sudden hug, more so because she was still a little lost in thought than not expecting it. Indeed Papyrus was an affectionate soul, she and him had that much in common. A warm smile spread on her face as she adjusted enough to return the hug. She shifted Sans into one arm and freed the other wrap around the younger skeleton, giving him a light squeeze. He hung on to her a little longer than expected, but she was happy to accommodate him, understanding his need for comfort as much as she understood Sans' need for it.

Papyrus only pulled away when they both felt Sans stir a bit, and she looked down at him nervously as she re-looped her arms snugly around him. But he only shifted a little to nuzzle his face against the hollow of her neck before going still and continuing to snore softly. Both she and Papyrus breathed a soft sigh of relief before facing one another again. At his heartfelt goodnight, Toriel gave him a warm smile and was quick to return his sentiment. "I must extend my thanks to you again as well Papyrus, you are truly a wonderful brother and a wonderful friend. I wish you a good night and sweet dreams."

With that, she once more took her place on the couch, carefully settling on and under the graciously provided bedding. She ended up still sitting up partially with her back on the pillow, cradling Sans so that he could continue to rest with his skull on her shoulder. Then she switched off the table side lamp beside the couch and pulled the blankets over both of them, enveloping them in the comforting warmth.

Once tucked in, she sat for a while like that, letting her thoughts wander for a bit over the events of the day and waiting for sleep to come naturally. Usually her insomnia kept her up for hours at a time when she tried to sleep at night. But with Sans here, listening to his gentle snoring, feeling his soul so very close to her own, it brought a comfort to her chronically lonely soul. And it was a comfort that had her drift off not too long after that.

Her last thoughts before sleep claimed her were hopes that her presence could offer him the same sort of comfort, and that he slept peacefully through the night without incident.

 


	3. A Smile Takes Tulips

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have another, nice size chapter for you. Thanks for reading and all the comments, and we hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> The players are: Paddiefrog and Topaz Shadowwolf
> 
> Characters played by  
> Paddie: Toriel, Frisk, Chara, Undyne, Flowey  
> Topaz: Sans, Papyrus, Gaster Blasters, Alphys

(Sans)  
Sans didn't wake until the early morning hours. It was odd for him to be up early, but considering how early he fell asleep, it was understandable, even for his tired mind. His dreams had been a mess of ideas and he didn't understand most of it by the time he had awoken. Which, was better then waking up scared or worse. He was still so tired, and sore. But he was even more warm and cozy. He sighed contently and snuggled in tighter to the source of heat next and under him. He could stay like this forever. The smell of baked goods filled his sense of smell as he started to sigh in contentment. He wrapped his arms around the warmth, hanging onto it more than happily. Though, that did cause his mind to start waking up. Since when did he have something like this in his bed? Was he in bed? This didn't feel like or smell like his room.

 

With a sleepy yawn he forced his mind further awake until his sockets started to open and focus. He blinked, unsure if he was seeing things right. Then questioning if he was dreaming. His magic colored his face as he started to understand just how intimately he was clinging to and cuddling with Tori. And just how she was holding him. He couldn't help but wonder why he was here and not in his room, or why she was here and not in the guest room. Had they fallen asleep down here and Papyrus covered them up like this? That could be it... but that didn't explain why there were pillows and where the things from upstairs came from. Or why there is a bottom sheet...

 

His mind quickly ran through the past, figuring out what had led to this event. So many moments came to mind. His smile went tight with stress and he worried about what was going to happen between them. He feared waking her, but he felt it would be best to pull away a bit, at least to the point he wasn't clinging to her like that. He slowly moved his hands back towards himself and hoped not to wake her. He knew from the times they fell asleep on the couch that she was a light sleeper.

  
(Toriel)  
Toriel had been a light sleeper for over a century, ever since she had her son. Motherly instinct drove it perhaps, as she had had to sleep with one ear perked and at the ready back then, listening for the infant boss monster's cries and being ready to spring out of slumber and out of bed to be able to attend to her child.

 

That same sensitivity persisted during her endless decades alone in the Ruins, convinced every little sound she heard was a sign that another human child had fallen. The amount of times she'd staggered back and forth from her bedroom to the site of Chara's resting place, after some faint noise stirred her from sleep, only to find nothing... were too numerable to count.

 

It was that same sensitivity that had her begin to stir at the slight movement on the couch. Her sleep addled mind only perceived that her source of comfort, and the object of her protection was pulling away from her bit by bit, maybe even falling off of the couch. So without the guidance of any rational thought, she wrapped her arms more firmly around the skeleton beside her, and held him close, like how a child might hug a teddy bear.

 

She then rested her chin contently on Sans' skull, letting out something of a soft, sleepy purr as she settled back again, mind rapidly willing her to return to the peaceful sleep she'd been enjoying, now that she was sure her dear skeleton was safe and comfortable again. To say she was blissfully unaware of the reality of the situation was putting it lightly.

 

(Sans)  
Just when he thought he might have been successful, Tori pulled him even closer to her. Sans didn't know what to do or think now. He had been fully enveloped in Toriel's arms and her head was now resting on his skull. Not that he didn't enjoy this, because he totally did... but it startled him. The feel of her soft fur on his skull was so nice, and he struggled with this want to nestle his face into her neck. His mind wrestled with the idea of what just happened.

 

Was this alright? Was Tori really okay with this or was she just cuddling with him because he was here and she was fast asleep? He had heard the joke of people's minds freezing or "blue screening" like a computer before. He didn't think he would relate to that before now, but in this moment he did.

 

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fully process what was going on and if it was real or not. Let alone what he was supposed to do. So, he just stayed ridgid as he struggled to put some order to his thoughts. Should he hug her back? Should he go back to sleep? Should he wake her up? Should he just wait? He had no idea, none at all. All he he knew is what he wanted to do... and in the end, that won out. Closing his sockets tight he wrapped his arms around her again, holding on tight. He still didn't know if this was the right choice, but it is what he went with.

  
(Toriel)  
In the haze of her sleepiness, before it fully claimed her for a second time, she felt a warm feeling of joy and love well up in her soul as Sans returned her hug, wrapping his arms tight around her again. It felt nice... so nice. And in that space between sleep and wakefulness she dared to imagine it was something that could last.

 

She purred softly again, lightly brushing her cheek against the top of his skull and giving him another little squeeze. Then she drifted off again for a short while, not quite ever fully slipping back into the deep sleep she'd originally been in, but getting some more blessed rest snuggled up with the skeleton before the ever growing sunlight from the windows truly began to rouse her.

 

This time awareness came quicker with it, and she blinked open one scarlet eye, the other still shut against the offending light. Instinct still drove her to immediately check on the skeleton in her arms, feeling her face flush a bit and her breath catch momentarily as she noticed how she and Sans were holding on to one another. Clearly her terribly selfish loneliness had driven her to hold him tight in her sleep, and she hoped that she had never once squeezed him too tight... If he had been awake and aware, he'd surely have pushed her away by now, given how self-serving she was acting.

  
She knew deep down that he likely was only clinging back to her this way because he was fast asleep... but it was still... nice. Hopefully it wasn't something he'd done due to any nightmares... She waited a few moments for the initial shock to pass, keeping as still as she could manage. Then she shifted just a bit to a more more upright sitting position, still holding him close all the while and reclining enough to keep his sleeping position comfortable.

 

As she continued to rest her chin on his skull, her deprecating thoughts spiraled more and more. She should let go now and go make breakfast to repay the brother's hospitality? She had no reason to continue this now that she was awake. After all, he'd clearly slept through the night just fine. It was selfish of her... so selfish... to keep holding him like this, to take advantage of his natural instinct for comfort in his sleep... and yet... she simply couldn't let go, even curled about him a little more. But it was only then that she realized his breathing was not as deep and even as she expected. And a truly unexpected thought entered her mind abruptly. Was he... awake?

(Sans)  
Hearing the purr the second time his face felt warmer with magic. He didn’t like that deep, almost gravely, sound he makes when half changed. But Tori’s... it was cute, sweet, beautiful even...

 

He could feel it through him and he almost wished he could purr right back. Her cheek rubbing against his skull added to that desire to purr his contentment. It was just so nice. Though she did momentarily squeeze the air out of his ribcage. Was it really okay for him to be doing this? As he debated that, part of him arguing that she put him in this situation in the first place, he started to doze off.

 

Later, as she started to move, his mind started waking back up. Groggy, he took in what information he could. It seemed Tori was awake but she was still... holding him... There was a pause and he felt he should do something. He eased up on his hug and tried to sit back in her arms. As he spoke, his voice creaked with the sleepiness that still needed shaking off.

 

“heya, tori... you, uh, sleep well?”

 

(Toriel)  
To say Toriel felt like a deer (or goat) in the headlights would be putting it mildly, his sudden question putting everything that had just happened in a brand new light. She gulped slightly, but fought to save face, not wanting him to see her shame over all her selfishness. She waited a moment for him to add to his question, denounce her behavior somehow. But he didn't. In fact, he didn't seem all that bothered at all, only pulling back enough to address her, and not shoving away like her venomous thoughts had been expecting.

 

For a moment, she dared to believe he might... be okay with this? For that sentiment, she only gently loosened her grip to sit up more to properly address him, keeping him in her arms slightly instead of flinching away with a flurry of apologizes. She tried to think of something to say, remember herself and the situation at hand.

 

"G-greetings Sans..." She rasped in reply, voice equally thick with lingering sleepiness. "I... um... Yes I, I did sleep... well..." She cursed herself silently for speaking in such a fractured manner, clearing her throat just a bit and attempting to focus again before going on. "Did you sleep alright? I... stayed here with you last night, to ensure you got through the night okay... I hope you um... do not mind."

  
(Sans)  
Ah, that made sense. This was because of her concern for him. No surprise after what he carelessly put her through. The whole ordeal clearly shook her. It was far more believable than her having... those kind of feelings for him. Especially after all she learned yesterday. Now he needed to fix that situation so she hopefully won’t worry. He wore a smile as he winked.

 

“yeah, slept great. though, uh, sorry if things were a little... odd.”

 

He was going to say uncomfortable, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to hear her reply that his hug had made her uncomfortable. There was a confirming, though broken, sense of relief in knowing her behavior was because of her worry and concern. With luck, he could set her mind at ease today. She didn’t need to get dragged into this.

 

  
(Toriel)

To hear him call what just happened "odd" didn't sit quite right with her. And it made something click in her mind. Perhaps... just perhaps... he too had been feeling... selfish or wrong for hugging her like he had been. After all, she was sure now he was at least partially awake while doing that. Did he... really think she'd be uncomfortable with that? With how she had already been acting?

 

The thoughts made her feel as though she had been dropped into a whirlpool and was being whipped about. The not so unfamiliar realization came back to her then, that the two of them were far more alike than she usually considered. Just a pair of silly fools it seemed... Whatever the case may be, she couldn't have him thinking she didn't appreciate his affection towards her, even if admitting to such things still felt selfish somehow, she decided she could let a small bit of it be out in the open, just to gauge his reaction. It was risky... but her risks today had mostly paid off for both their benefit.

 

"I am glad to hear it, dear." She said, soft red eyes warming. "And things were not odd at all... I..." She swallowed and was unable to keep some heat from burning at her cheeks. "I appreciate getting to spend time with you like this... even with what happened to cause it... you and I have not had much time to ourselves lately, with everything going on. It was... quite nice. It definitely put my mind at ease... I have not slept so well in a very long time..."

 

The admittance made her blush deepen, and she thanked the stars for her fur's ability to hide it. But beyond that, a kind of warm, wistful smile came with it, as her mind briefly wandered into precious times long past. But then she grounded herself again, and prepared for his reaction, steeling herself to deal with the worst.

  
(Sans)  
She... appreciated spending time like THAT with him? His soul fluttered in his rib cage. ‘It was quite nice.’ Those words caused his mind to stop again as his face heated up with his magic.

 

“heh,” was all he could muster as a reply, and it was in a giddy tone.

 

She... liked him hugging her. So, it wasn’t just concern. It was lo... oh, oh no. Dread suddenly poured into him and a hand covered his mouth as he struggled to keep it together. This... this was wrong. He didn’t mean to lead her into a relationship with himself. What kind of life is that? He tried imagine Toriel being happy with... that thing he turns into. But that didn’t look happy in his mind. Oh, gosh, he loved her so much. He looked in her eyes, finding such beauty there.

 

“t-tori...” he stuttered, fighting through his panic, “i-i really lo-... like you b-but i... i said i w-wouldn’t push you away, b-but...”

 

Come on, Sans. Could you please form one sentence, just one? His added frustration was not helping him at all.

  
(Toriel)  
His reaction was far more extreme than she expected, though perhaps if her own nagging doubts had not been as loud as they had been, she would have known such hints towards her feelings for him would have him behaving this way. Still, his immediate blush and giddy little chuckle made her soul swell with emotion, relieved and overjoyed to see no rejection in his gaze. But then he sort of... curled in on himself with a much darker look. A look she recognized from experience as self-hatred.

 

Despite it though, he started stuttering up a storm, likely not helped by any lingering drowsiness. But within his mostly intelligible, fragmented words she heard him almost say... no it couldn't be... could it? It couldn't be that easy... surely... but... Her soul pulsed wildly in her chest, but she willed herself to be calm, trying to get her mind to catch up with what was happening. Whatever it was Sans wanted to say, he couldn't get the words out like this, flustered to the point of incoherency. So gently, she reached over and took his hands in her own, giving them a light squeeze to hopefully stop or at least slow his frantic words.

 

"Sans, breathe, okay?" She soothed, unable to keep from smiling as she did. "Whatever you want to say, I will listen, just take a deep breath and relax first. I am not going anywhere."

 

  
(Sans)  
He was torn between leaning into her or pulling away. And he really wanted to free himself and shortcut away. Run away to somewhere the ones he holds dear aren’t burdened or hurt by him. A place where he can just... give up. And yet... she was hugging him... of her own free will, too. She wasn’t like Papyrus, unfortunately born/created into his family and thus duty bound to care and love him in return for his weak attempts to do the same. She’s someone outside of that who could have declared him not worth her time.

 

Hearing her advice he focused on just taking in and out air. The sensation calmed him slightly, enough for him to weakly try again.

 

“i-,” his voice cut short as inside he yelled at himself: ‘nonono, you’re not saying that.’

 

He took another breath, this one shaky.

 

“y-your my c-closest friend, and, u-uh, n-not because i-i’m sitting here, like this.” He offered a weak smile with his joke. Needing to say more he continued. “a-and i... i-i r-really, uh, liked the, uh, hug this m-morning. but i w-want... y-you shouldn’t...”

 

He took his hands back because he had to. Balling his hands into fists he placed them over his closed eye sockets as he fought to make the world around him just disappear. Tori is just too... everything good in his life... she deserves so much better.

 

“don’t be s-stuck here... because of me.”

  
(Toriel)  
His first little joke had made her smile brighten, just a bit, but then that smile withered and died on her face as the poor skeleton went on, a growing darkness and despair in his eyelights. Then her soul gave a sharp twist of pain within her as he wrenched his hands away to cover his face. The words that escaped him then were a touch vague, but their implication did strike true, and it hurt...

 

Oh stars above, why did her beloved have to despise himself so much? Why must his self hatred always snuff out any light and happiness that entered his life? Like before though, she wouldn't have it. She couldn't sit idly by and watch as Sans did this to himself. She let his statement hang for a moment, then leaned over to envelop him in a hug once more, one that did not ask for him to return it, only accept it.

 

"Sans." She spoke his name with purposeful weight, demanding his attention. "Listen to me, okay?"

 

Then she drew in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. She knew she was about to go into one of her lengthy diatribes, but she also knew that these were all words her dear skeleton needed to hear.

 

"I am not ‘stuck’ here by any stretch of the imagination. I am here by your side by my own choice, and will continue to remain by your side by my own choice. Everything I do or say for your benefit is my own choice. Not from anything you have done to ‘trap’ me. I insist you banish the thought at once."

 

She paused, giving the words time to sink in before continuing.

  
"None of this is your fault Sans, you did not choose to suffer this way, you did not choose to have to become some other creature whose mind is not your own. For you to despise yourself for this, or to think yourself unworthy of being loved because of it, is simply foolishness, and nothing more. It is like I said before, If the situations were reversed, I know for a fact you would not abandon me and deem more unworthy of affection and companionship, or even worse... consider me a burden. If you would not extend such cruelty to me, I implore you not to extend such cruelty to yourself either. I know that is difficult, I struggle with such self-loathing myself for a variety of reasons, I often feel unworthy of the people who choose to care for me, despite my sins. But it is the truth Sans, no matter our inner struggles, our struggles and flaws do not make us pariahs undeserving of love. This was _Not. Your. Fault._ "

 

With that, she felt confident enough to get out the last part, knowing that it had to be said, and had to be blunt, for Sans’s sake.

 

"I love you Sans, whatever you wish that to mean. I am not asking anything of you, I just want you to know that. You are so very loved dear, by so many, including me. And you deserve to be loved, no matter what the voices in your head tell you to the contrary. Please remember that.”

 

She ended her lengthy speech by giving him another squeeze, waiting to hear his response and preparing herself to debate him further if necessary.

  
(Sans)  
Sans didn't know what to expect. Tori wasn't the type to push him away, but set him aside... yes. But when she hugged him again he felt himself go ridged again. She wasn’t listening... He didn't explain it right and now she wasn't listening. He was sure of it. He tried to think of what else to say to make her understand when she started to speak. She asked him to listen. He couldn’t reject such a request and did so. After the first part, during that pause, he lowered his hands, thinking.

 

She wanted to be here. That small voice that tried pushing that thought before strengthened a little. It was still dwarfed by the self deprecation that wanted to tear him apart, but hearing those words and thinking on it, did cause that self hate to pause. She did listen... she just... wants to be here. That didn't make sense to him... He did try pushing that confusion away so he could just accept that. That she... wanted to be here. He was happy she paused before continuing, because the next part was just so much. She was right... he didn't choose this... this wasn't anyone's choice.... It just was.

 

But it was more than this thing he felt unworthy of her love, she just didn't know... Still, how much of that was his fault? How much of it was something she would say he wasn't to blame for? Had she come to him and bearing the scars that he had, he never would have faulted her for them. He took in a shuddering breath, understanding her reasoning. As much as he didn't want to apply it to himself. He remembered similar thoughts like this from the day before... amid all of that pain. He had successfully kept himself from crying though. The last thing he needed to do was make things awkward by turning into a sobbing mess.

  
But that's when Tori dropped the phrase that he was so desperately trying to avoid saying. 'I love you.' He hated how much those words made him start to tear up. Fear and self doubt about how she felt lifted off of him. He didn't know how he wished that to mean as he was too torn up to figure out if he wanted her to love him the way he loved her, or just love him a close friend. But hearing them still, eased some of the ache. He wanted to refute the rest of what she said, argue it. But it required information she didn't have, she didn't need to hear. Information that he wished he didn't even have. But even then, she'd most likely tell him, he wasn't at fault. Had she, or anyone else came to him, talking about timelines and he believed them, he would have asked why they bothered at all. It was a lost cause. Hopeless. Finally, he leaned into her hug, accepting the fact that she loved him.

 

He fought with his vocal magic, forcing out the words before he could seal them away.

 

“i love you too.”

 

He, sighed, annoyed at the tears seeping from his sockets, but unable to do anything about them.

  
(Toriel)  
Even given the context of what was being discussed, her soul still leapt inside her to hear him return her words. It was not the ideal way she'd liked to finally hear them, but she would happily take it, especially since they seemed to signal his acceptance of her own words. Not full agreement of them, not yet, maybe not for a long time, but acceptance at least.

 

She did not let her happiness grow too out of hand though, knowing that nothing was fully certain yet. Instead, she held him a little tighter as he leaned back into her hug. Then she began to lightly rub his back, subconsciously starting to rock them both slightly as well. There was little she could say in response to that, but she knew she needed to reply with something.

 

"I am so happy to hear that dear." She murmured. "Thank you Sans, thank you for caring for me. For coming to my door back then to keep a lonely old soul company, for taking time to make me laugh and smile when I was at my lowest and even more now. You certainly did not have to have compassion for a silly old lady who worries too much, but you have, and my life has been so much better for it. You have helped me feel so much better and be so much happier despite the pains of my past. I am blessed to have you in my life, and will never not want you in it. Do not ever fear otherwise."

  
She trailed off, hoping the words would give him further assurance. She could feel his tears falling against where his face was pressed against her, and it brought a twist of guilt to her soul. She hated that she had made him cry, but in this case, she knew he really needed it. In fact, Sans would probably feel a lot better if he could just let it out, crying far more than just a few tears that managed to break through. She doubted though, that he would ever let himself do that if he could help it.

 

Her poor, dear skeleton kept such a tight leash on his emotions, be them positive or negative. The most she could do now for him though was hold him until the tears stopped, hopefully communicating that she was fine with it, and would continue to be fine if he broke any further. "You are going to be okay Sans. I promise that, so long as I live, I will be here for you, in whatever way you wish me to be. I am afraid it is actually _you_ that is stuck with me, dear."

  
(Sans)  
Sans enjoyed the feel of the hug tightening that slight bit followed by the rubbing of his back. The rocking, again, caused old memories to stir which didn't help with his weeping sockets. He used his sleeve to wipe at his eye sockets, trying to dry them so he doesn't soak Tori while he leaned against her like this. They just didn't seem to want to stop, which was annoying to him. He'd cried on her enough yesterday when he tearfully changed back. But there were so many emotions, thoughts and memories pushed down, that the little relief he got seemed to remove some of the weight holding all that sadness down and causing it to want to spill out.

 

Though, as much as he wanted to stop, Toriel seemed... alright with his tears. Her kind words helped put him more at ease.

 

"heh, thanks tori." He then snorted slightly before adding, "if i am stuck with you, then i'm not going to be complaining..."

 

He then took a deep breath to calm himself before shifting a bit so he was turned more towards her. He wrapped his right arm around her, then with some hesitation, reached with his left to touch the fur on her neck. When she said that she'd never not want him in her life, fractured "memories" of times that no longer existed flashed through his mind. He remembered knocking on the doors night after night and never getting a response. It caused him to shiver as he remembered how low his already broken state had gotten then, especially if he was also missing his brother.

 

He tried and failed to keep his emotions in check, to keep himself from shivering like a leaf in the wind. He needed to say something, she was already comforting him, and now his state had changed for the worst for what would seem to her, for no reason.

 

"tori... i n-needed someone then, too. y-you were helping me j-just as much. and then you c-continued to look after me... a-and my bro. i..."

  
His voice locked up on him and it took a couple of deep breaths to finally croak out.

 

"i hated when you were not-" he stopped himself, inwardly cursing his emotional mood as it was causing him to not think before he spoke.

 

He took another breath, shaking his head, as one might over a casual misspeak.

 

"... i mean i'd hate if you were not part of my life."

 

(Toriel)  
She kept him close as he weakly tried to get his emotions under control again, wiping at his sockets and seeming to grow more frustrated as the tears failed to stop. Eventually though, he seemed to be soothed somewhat by her words and her gentle displays of comfort and stops resisting them as much. That nasally little laugh was positively adorable, even with as feeble as it was beneath all the lingering stress in his voice. And she was greatly relieved that he still had it in him to dip into his usually jovial tone, even just a bit.

 

After she gave a soft rumble of a laugh in return, she blinked a bit in surprise as he wrapped an arm around her and laid the other against her neck, phalanges slipping through the fur there. It brought a light blush back to her face and she nuzzled a little closer as he did it, more comfortable now with showing her appreciation for the little shows of affection. All felt a little more at ease for a bit after that. But then she felt something seem to shift inside him, steadily bringing tension back to his small frame.

 

Then he was shaking again, enough to make him rattle. She worried that he may very well be edging on some sort of emotional break. She steeled herself for that possibility, part of her expecting him to began sobbing outright. But then he croaked out those words, between shaky and harsh catches of breath. He stumbled over his words too, having to correct his last statement in particular. She listened in silence as he spoke, continuing to gently rock him, consciously now, as she realized it was something that seemed to get through to him more.

 

She considered her answer, wanting to ensure her words would be enough to soothe as well as reassure. In the face of his increasing brokenness, she willed herself to keep as calm as possible.

 

"I am glad to know I was able to help you back then too, dear." She crooned, sweeping a paw down his back. "To be able to give back any amount of the hope and joy you offered me then, is such a relief." She tightened her grip on him by degrees before going on. "And you do not have to worry about that. I am not going anywhere. I promise."

 

She would happily repeat that sentiment as much as he needed. Once that was out of the way though, she felt she needed to say something in regards to his sudden fit of shaking, and the emotions that must be driving it. She couldn't know for sure what truly awful thoughts, feelings and memories were driving the reaction, but she could at least ensure he knew that he didn't need to fear losing his composure, or even breaking down in her presence.

 

"It is okay, dear. I know you are hurting. You have been hurting for a long time, have you not?" She soothed in a quieter voice, holding him a little closer to try to ease his shaking. "It is okay to cry."

  
(Sans)  
The rocking caused some of the tension to ease out and he started to feel a little better thanks to it. But when she started to speak those horrid memories started to come back. He closed his eye sockets and buried his face into her neck as she promised not to go anywhere. He understood what she meant. But it was something she can't really promise. She has disappeared before, after all. She just didn't know it. And he didn't want to tell her that.

 

His right hand tightened its grip into the fabric of her clothes as if trying to make sure she doesn't disappear at this moment. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

 

"thanks." He needed to force down those thoughts and feelings before he said or did something that would make Tori know there is something else. The changing thing is one thing. It is horrible and he hates it. But he could only hide that from those he was close to for so long. Resets though...  where was nothing physical to really prove them. They sounded crazy to anyone he could try telling. He wouldn't even believe them himself had he not... He wasn't going to put her through that... that was... well... it robbed him of most of his hope. He didn't want her to lose that too.

 

So even with her letting him know it was okay to let his emotions out, he snuffed them. Shoved them down and built up his front.

 

"i'm okay tori, really, thanks though." After having the needed time, his voice had evened out.

 

There was still some shakiness, but for the most part, he sounded far calmer than before. His body was still tenser than it should have been, and he tried to get it to relax next. He'd long since giving up on truly crying. What was the point? It never seemed to do anything for him.

  
(Toriel)  
She wasn't surprised that he still shut down emotionally even after her reassurance. She was well aware that he wasn't the type to give into such things, much more likely to bottle them up until it all must burn inside him. Something like that wouldn't change with a few words. But at least he knew now that she was willing to be his shoulder to cry on, and if he ever did need it, perhaps he'd be willing to come to her.

 

She was surprised however at how quickly he could get himself to calm down after that. The rocking seemed to be a big part of that, and it made her wonder if it had some deeper meaning to him. Nonetheless, she was relieved when he calmed again, even if she could practically feel him forcing back up his front. Clearly whatever had caused his momentary upset was still lingering in his thoughts, but it had been successfully forced back from the darker parts of his mind from whence they came.

 

That idea didn't particularly sit all that well with her, especially since she knew that repression would only hurt him more in the long run, but she figured such a thing could be addressed at later time, depending on how things... progressed between them. So, she simply gave his back another rub and lightly nuzzled his cheekbone.

 

"Very well then, If you are sure." She replied, conceding for now.

 

Part of her expected him to pull away now out of embarrassment or whatever else he was feeling. But he didn't, so she was happy to keep holding him, more comfortably now that he wasn't shaking like a leaf. After a little while, she decided it was safe enough to ask something else. It was also a bit risky she supposed, but with she'd already managed to accomplish with a much bigger risk, she didn't feel too worried about asking.

 

"Sans... would you be willing tell me what happened to you yesterday? That caused you to... change suddenly?" She asked.

 

  
(Sans)  
The rub on the back still felt so nice and he couldn't help but enjoy it. Then when she nuzzled his cheekbone he felt his magic flush in his face, but it was something he wanted to feel again. Sure, he felt embarrassed but... it's not like anyone could see, or that it made him uncomfortable. Honestly, he wouldn't have mind if she did it again. He pet her neck fur a little, feeling it between his finger bones. He just hope she enjoyed that as much as he enjoyed her signs of affection.

 

It was good to have a moment longer to relax more. The tension eased out of his body, as he continued to build back up his usual wall. With all of that sealed away, he felt a mild sense of that apathy that had haunted him for a long time. But not all of it. Tori had broken part of his defense. At least to her, and most likely Papyrus, he will have trouble holding back like he used to. Still, it felt safe having a barrier.

 

When she said his name, he heard something in her voice. It reminded him of the few times now she has asked him big questions, and he started to prepare himself now. Sure enough, that was nothing he was going to be able to answer easily.

 

"i, uh..." He paused, feeling a wave a embarrassment start to try forcing its way up. But he kept it behind the wall as he continued, "may sound silly, but i, uh, figured i had time for a nap and then had a nightmare that startle me enough."

 

He figured Papyrus must have said something about this. That, or, she figured there had to be some sort of cause. Either way, he didn't need to lie about that.

  
(Toriel)  
She was happy to see his reaction to her nuzzling him, and even more happy when he ran his phalanges through the fur on her neck. It made the urge to purr rise up in her throat, but she didn't know how Sans would react to that, and she still, admittedly, found it quite embarrassing when she let one slip. She just settled for a content sort of hum in her throat and lightly butted her head a bit against his skull in an instinctual show of affection for her kind. His response to her question later on had her humming too, this time in thought at having her suspicions from the night before confirmed.

 

She was both relieved and concerned by that answer. Relieved that she was starting to understand and read him better enough to guess the problem, and that he hadn't been subjected to something far worse. But concerned because a nightmare wasn't something she could truly fix or prevent from happening again. It was too intangible and unpredictable to be stopped, and that made her feel uneasy and vaguely useless. The most she could really do was... offer her sympathy and understanding and hope that the little things she did would stave off his darker thoughts enough that his sleep would be peaceful.

  
Well... that and... he had seemed to sleep just fine through the night with her beside him. But she wasn't about to be pushy on that front, she had already tested her luck quite a lot today. She needn't get too bold as to overwhelm him. After all, though he had admitted to loving her back, that didn't necessarily mean he wanted a relationship with her, or felt those feelings as strongly as she did. She needed to take things slow. After a moment, she pushed away those thoughts and actually gave a response.

 

"It is not silly dear." She assured him, giving him a light, consoling squeeze. "I am sorry that happened to you. I assume it must have been... pretty bad to be enough to trigger a change like that."

 

As the reply hung in the air, she came to another realization, one of self reflection on the whole situation and felt a twinge of guilt.

 

"I do apologize Sans, for um... dumping so much on you so very early in the morning." She went on, resting her cheek against his skull. "How are you... feeling? Do you wish to go back to sleep for a while? Or would you like me to prepare you some breakfast maybe?"

 

A plethora of other questions and offers bubbled up inside her, but she held her tongue as to hopefully not come off as too overbearing.

 

(Sans)  
Hearing the hum, Sans couldn't help but continue to pet and ruffle her neck fur. He wasn't sure if he would be able to get her to make another one of those purrs he remembered hearing earlier. He considered asking about it, but thought against that. When she lightly butted his skull he chuckled. That was an odd way to show affection but he found it amusing and wouldn't mind her doing it again. He could tell she was thinking about his answer. He just hoped she didn't ask what he dreamed about.

 

There isn't an easy way to say that the nightmare featured her child on a murder spree. If she did asked, he'd had to feign that he forgot. While he waited for her reply he noticed, while he was mostly relaxed, his right hand was still holding on to her clothes as if any moment she might try disappearing. With luck she didn't notice anymore than he did, and he slowly opened is grip. As she spoke, he turned his attention back to her. More than happy she decided to offer sympathy verses further questions.

 

He considered responding to the first part, but decided not to run the risk of opening himself up to questions and just let her words hang there for a moment. When she rested her cheek on his skull he smiled. Something about that was so enjoyable.

 

"no worries, tori. considering some of the things that came up... it was worth it," His mind replayed her saying those three words again. Still, it might not be the 'I love you' that he meant... but... hearing that was more than worth having to answer everything else. Though, it did leave him tired... and he was hungry.

 

"uh... heh, well, i wouldn't mind both but i'll go for either," his mind paused, "actually i'm surprised my bro isn't already up making breakfast...."

  
(Toriel)  
When he had continued to pet her like that, she wondered if he perhaps knew what he was doing. Had she...? Oh stars, she hoped she hadn't been purring in her sleep. She hadn't done that since... No, surely she hadn't. That was just her being paranoid. Still, she would honestly love for him to keep stroking her fur like that _fur_ -ever~.

 

She briefly considered sharing that pun, but decided against it. His later response to her apology, mentioning that all this was worth it, made a small, fond smile appear on her face. Feeling emboldened by his statement, she gave him another little nuzzle, before resting her cheek on his skull again.

 

"I am glad you feel that way dear, and I must say I agree." She replied, allowing her tone to become warmer. In response to his second answer though, she allowed herself a few more moments of that close hug and one final little squeeze before gently releasing him so that she could meet his gaze.

 

She thought about commenting on Papyrus' absence as well, and did find it a touch odd, given the skeleton's usual tendency to be an early riser, but simply reasoned he must be sleeping in a bit after the trying events of the previous night. She faced Sans again, deciding on what to say.

"How about we do both then?" She said, offering an approving smile. "You go ahead and rest here a while longer. I will make something special for breakfast that takes a little bit of time. I saw that your brother keeps his kitchen quite well stocked after all. It will allow me to repay Papyrus for all his kindness last night, and well... always ha ha. How does cinnamon french toast with fruit sound?”

  
(Sans)  
He grinned as he was nuzzled again. He wasn’t fully sure what about that he liked the most. Her soft fur, she squishiness of her nose, or the action of nuzzling. All he knew is that there was no way a nuzzle from him could ever feel that nice. As she settled her cheek on his skull again, he nestled his head against her neck. When she finally released him he personally didn’t feel ready for it. Still, he knew this couldn’t last... and for a moment he wondered how much longer he had until the next reset and he loses all of this…

 

He shoved that thought back down, not wanting to upset Tori anymore. He heard her suggestion and kinda liked them. He did enjoy resting.

 

“sounds good, tori.” He then paused, feeling silly for asking. “sure you don’t want help? i know i can be lazy, but i’m not...”

 

He was going to say useless. But after all of this mornings self-deprecation, he doubted Tori would want to let that just slide.  

 

“well, i’m not a cook like you two, but i can cook, or at least assist.” He smiled at her.

 

He was torn between both wanting to help and wanting to sleep. Whichever Tori settles on he will be happy with. Still, he glanced up at his bro’s bedroom door, wondering, and worrying.

 

(Toriel)

She tilted her head a bit in surprise at his offer, thinking he'd surely have jumped at the chance to go to back to sleep. She considered what to say in reply. Her more nurturing side was telling her to insist Sans get some more rest and just let her take care of everything, but her more thoughtful side saw that the skeleton's offer was notable, and he likely was making it out a desire to be helpful.

 

It just didn't feel right to reject his help, even if she did it with the best of intentions, she couldn't help but think he'll see it as some kind of rejection on a deeper level. She didn’t miss his little glance up at his brother's room again either, and after a moment she figured out a response.

 

"Well... you are more than welcome to come help me if you would like. I certainly appreciate the offer. And oh, do not be so modest dear, you have baked pies with me before and they turned out wonderfully! This should not be too far out of your comfort zone."

 

With that she too cast a glance up to Papyrus' room, and gave Sans an understanding look.

"How about this, I will go get the ingredients prepped, and while I do that, you go check in on your brother real quick, just to make sure everything is okay.... Once you are done with that, feel free to meet me in the kitchen if you would like."

 

She gave him a look of encouragement and then headed for the kitchen, mind already formulating the refined recipe in her head.

 

(Sans)

Tori really was an amazing person. Sans didn't even need to say a thing and she knew. Perhaps it was because she was a mother at one point, or maybe she just was always this thoughtful. Whatever it was, Sans couldn’t help but smile. He nodded, agreeing with with her plan.

 

"sure."

 

It again stumped him how she could have said those words to him... but, at this point he was happy she had. It might be hard to him to understand, but if she was as happy being with him as he was with her, he'll try not to ruin this. He got up as she left and lazily took one of his short cuts upstairs. Even on the best of days he didn't like climbing them, and after yesterday, he definitely didn't. He knocked on the door then poked his head in.

 

It would be some time before Sans finally left his brother's room again. When he did, he stood in the hall and rubbed his skull. Papyrus deserves a better brother... With a sigh he went to join Tori in the kitchen, knowing at least his brother is alright. He didn't want to just pop in and startle Tori, so he walked in, gave the simple report of "he saw us earlier..."

 

He paused, just to let that fully sink in for her as well as himself, "he decided to give us space, he started texting some classmates and then lost track of time. he'll be down soon though, but he said he has to head out to work on a project...."

 

(Toriel)

Once she’d left Sans to check on his brother, Toriel headed for the kitchen to begin gathering up what she'd need. Papyrus' stock of ingredients and remarkable organization made the task rather easy. Once she had it all, she laid it out neatly on the counter, doing a final check in her head before smiling in satisfaction.

 

Cooking for her loved ones brought her a deep joy, as did any chance to offer her love and care. There were few things better than seeing the smiles that came with her loved ones enjoying a meal she'd prepared for them. Now that this specific dish was also meant to be one of gratitude towards Papyrus, she was determined to ensure its quality. But she dutifully waited for Sans to re-enter the room before getting started. It didn't take long, and she turned to him as he gave his report of sorts.

 

The answer he gave made a flare of... something... burn in her soul briefly. It may have been embarrassment, or sympathy, or even guilt? She didn't really know, but it faded quickly just leaving a flurry of questions in her mind. Had he heard her tell Sans that she loves him? Had he heard his brother return those words? Or had he only witnessed Sans' momentary distress and her attempts to comfort him? In all, though a twinge of anxiety over the uncertainty still remained, she accepted the news.

 

After all, Papyrus seemed to suspect the two of them of having feelings for one another. Him knowing wouldn't be a big deal, just potentially awkward if he attempted to prod them further before they were ready or had figured things out. Whatever he had surmised from what he’d witnessed, she just hoped he wasn't too troubled by it. Re-focusing, she faced Sans again to reply.

 

"I was afraid of that." She said simply, with a slightly sheepish smile. "Is he... okay with what he saw? I do hope he is not upset with me... for..." She trailed off, really not sure how to finish that thought.

 

One thing did stick out to her then though. If Papyrus was leaving soon, she should get going with preparing breakfast before that happened. Even if he left too quickly to have any, she could always store it in the fridge for him to try once he got home, and the key to that was putting it in at the peak of freshness. So while she waited for a response from Sans, she pulled the loaf of bread on the table to her and began cutting chunky slices with a knife.

 

(Sans)

At her question Sans felt his face flush, remembering what his brother had said.

 

“he’s, uh, more than okay with it. i’m worried, with how much he shares with undyne, he might have told her.”

 

His brother and Undyne were close. While Sans had accepted the aggressive fish monster as an unofficial sister, and wouldn’t mind her knowing, he was worried that between his brother and Undyne secrets don’t stay secrets most of the time. It depends on what it is... and this was likely to spread.

 

“but he might not have told yet. i did ask him not to.” Sans started to roll up his sleeves so he could help. “well, considering everything going on at that university, he might not have had time,” as he spoke he washed and dried his hands to be ready to help. He paused that thought to ask, “what should i do?”

 

(Toriel)

That blush on Sans' face was tell enough of what Papyrus had witnessed, and likely overheard. She felt her own face heat up a bit and rubbed one of her long ears between her fingers in an old nervous habit. She was glad to know he approved, even if she honestly should have suspected as much with all the knowing looks and the light teasing Papyrus had sent their way.

 

The idea of Undyne knowing was a bit less welcome though... especially since the fish monster was so close to her ex-husband. If Undyne mentioned this to Asgore... well, Toriel really didn't want to think about that. It summoned up a surge of sick conflicted feelings within her soul that were not welcome right now. Instead, she just smiled warmly at Sans as he prepared himself to assist her. Her blush returned somewhat though as she considered what she was going to say in return.

 

"Well, I suppose it cannot be helped either way, it is bound to get out in time if it has not already." She paused and swallowed nervously before continuing, though her eyes shone lightly with fondness all the while.

 

"But... you and I may want to talk later about what all this means for us. At least, what it means for the moment. Just so we can uh... be able to answer any nosy questions that may come our way."

 

The statement hung for a moment, and she took in the rather cute sight of him all prepped for kitchen work. It was endearing to see that desire to help from him, and it made her soul feel all warm again. But then she shook herself and quickly refocused as to not get dragged into a deep conversation about the last thing she'd said.

 

"But uh, d-do not worry about that now." She insisted, bringing her paws together briefly. "We have a breakfast to prepare, do we not?"

 

With that, she carefully slid him a small bowl, two eggs, and the pre-measured milk, cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract. Then she handed him a whisk.

 

"Here, you can prepare the egg wash. I have already measured everything out. Pour all of this into the bowl and whisk it up good until it is all mixed." She instructed, giving him an encouraging smile.

 

She turned back to her own work, slicing up enough bread for all of them to have a decent portion. She then began to oil up the skillet she'd placed over the range. She hummed to herself as she worked, feeling at ease, especially with him there with her.

 

(Sans)

She had a point. Now or later, the others were bound to find out if they are... together.... That thought caused his soul to stir. When Sans turned around he saw that hint of pink in Tori’s fur. He liked that look, though he understood the embarrassment behind it.

 

“yeah, guess we should.”

 

That... was going to be an interesting conversation later. He just hoped he could get through it without stammering like an idiot. He felt his soul’s magic twisting up in knots from nervousness. What all would be said during that conversation he wondered. Then he thought about Undyne and how she’d react to him. He was now a threat to her adopted father’s perceived happiness. Or the questions from Alphys... oh Alphys was going to be a pain. Granted, her “OTPs” change monthly. And some were hard to predict, but Asgore and Toriel have been consistently on her list of them. He could already hear her as she wanted to know what he was doing ruining her favorite ship.

 

But he tried to focus back on preparing breakfast. That’s when he noticed her pause was longer than he expected. Did she want him to say more? And he looked up at her. He didn’t know what to think about the way she was looking at him, and that look didn’t last long enough for him to learn it.  “right, breakfast,” he said before looking over the ingredients she has already set out for him. He took the whisk and listened to her instructions.

 

That didn’t sound too hard... and with it all measured out he didn’t have to worry about adding too much of something. Not that he ever had... thanks to his various interests in sciences, including chemistry, the value of careful measuring and double checking directions was ingrained into him. He watched at she turned back to continue cooking. ... She always looked so happy when she cooks or bakes. So beautiful...

 

He snapped his mind back and tried to remember why he had a whisk. Recalling the instructions, he put the ingredients in and started mixing it together. The effort was far more than he was used to for making his own food. That, and his already tired self, caused him to feel his magic bead up as a mock form of sweat. Once done he turned to Tori.

 

“how’s that?”

 

(Toriel)

As she finished oiling the skillet and setting the thick bread slices on a paper towel, she shot a few glances at Sans out of the corner of her eye. He was putting a reasonable amount of effort into the task she'd assigned him, enough to make him sweat a little it seemed. That made her wonder how tired he really was, and she made a mental note to herself to insist he take a nap after this and before they had their little "talk."

 

That shouldn't be hard to convince him to do, thankfully. When he'd finished and asked if he'd done it properly, she looked into the bowl to find it indeed was nicely whipped and ready. She gave him a warm smile and nodded, slowly wrapping a paw around the bowl and easing it closer to her.

 

"Perfect, thank you very much." She said with a wink, before gesturing for him to step over next to her. "Now you can help me dunk the bread slices into the egg wash. But first..."

 

She paused to draw in a deep inhale through her nose, and on the exhale she summoned a small, controlled ball of pale purple flame in one of her paws. She then guided it up and over to the stovetop, lifting up the skillet briefly as the ball of flame settled in place, then placing it back down on top of it. Fire magic would always be her preferred method of cooking, it was easier to control the temperature with it, and it left no mess behind. A true win win.

 

Indeed, the oil on the skillet began to sizzle and pop right on cue. Once that was done, she smiled back at Sans and handed him a pair of tongs as she picked up a pair for herself as well.

 

"Now this is the fun part." She declared with a grin. "Just take the bread slices in the tongs" As she spoke, she did just that in order to demonstrate to Sans, plucking up one of the slices she'd cut. "And then dunk it in the egg wash, making sure you get both sides." She dipped the slice a few times until it was thoroughly covered to her liking. "Finally, plop it down on the skillet, and I will take care turning them and seeing they cook to a nice golden brown."

 

As she waited for Sans to try it for himself, she tended to the piece she'd already placed on the skillet, pressing it lightly to elicit a satisfying sizzle as it began to cook.

 

(Sans)

He smiled at the praise of a job well done. It was better than her trying to fix the mistakes he had made when she was first was teaching him how to bake. He then watched as she lit the stove. In truth, he always enjoyed that part. He didn't know how it was for humans, but seeing another monster use their magic in a constructive manner was welcoming. Since returning to the surface, he has played around with the idea of writing a paper about the use of magic with science, since humans don't. Their lack of magical skills has allowed them to excel in areas of science monsters have not, while being stunted in others.

 

But, he figured that honor should go to Alphys. Though, even with his hints, she hasn't bothered doing it. With the stove lit, he took the tongs she handed to him. She showed him what to do next and it seemed easy enough. Not that he couldn't come up with new and inventive ways to mess up, but with her instructions and demonstration, he doubted even he could screw this up.

 

He did as she showed him, grabbing a piece of bread with the tongs, and he made sure it was well coated in the egg wash. Feeling that it looked like the one she had done, he then placed it in the pan. Easy. Honestly, he thinks he might make this one of those few mornings he decides to actually get out of bed before Papyrus... He is often awake, nightmares disrupting his sleep, but he generally is too tired to get out of bed. Still, on the mornings he does get up, he makes something for his brother before he leaves for his classes, usually oatmeal.

 

"smells really good," he said before picking up the next slice to get the next ready.

 

(Toriel)

Toriel couldn't keep the smile off her face as she watched Sans continue to assist her in preparing the bread slices. He seemed happy for the bit of praise she'd offered him earlier and it was good to see a real, bright smile on his face again, even a fleeting one. That happiness seemed to still be lingering there as he dunked the bread pieces in the egg wash alongside her.

 

Even if it was a simple task, it was good to see him doing something like this of his own free will, just out of an effort to be helpful to her. For most monsters that would be but a trifle, but she understood it was more difficult for him, and thus, more meaningful when he did choose to engage in it. His comment about the now delectable scent rising up from the skillet made her smile widen and she nodded.

 

"Yes, french toast tends to smell best when it is good and _toasty_." She quipped, shooting him in a wink.  

 

Oh that was terrible, so wonderfully terrible. After that bit of silliness, the two were able to get all the slices prepped and sizzling. As Toriel brought each one to an ideal golden brown color, she'd pick it up with the tongs and begin laying them out on three plates. As she finished with the final two, she handed Sans the sugar shaker, which had been previously freshly filled with powdered sugar.

 

"Give this a few shakes and taps over each piece, until it looks like... a nice covering of snow on top perhaps." She instructed, demonstrating on one for him. The sight of the dish was near perfect now, and smell now really beginning to work at her hunger. Once she handed the device over to him, she quickly moved over to begin cutting up some fruit she'd gotten out for a side dish. As she did, she kept talking, a happy lilt to her voice.

 

"What sort of fruit do you prefer, dear? Oh, and would you like syrup or jam on top of your toast?" She asked.

 

(Sans)

The pun made him chuckle as he started to dip the next slice. It felt good to laugh happily after all that happened, and he had to offer up one of his own. He gave her a wink.

 

"no matter how you _slice_ it tori, that was pretty _punny_."

 

He hoped she would find as much amusement out of those as he found in hers. They weren't good puns, not that he ever really told any good ones. But they were the best he could get off the top of his head. And, Tori's overall taste in puns typically met his own. Any pun has the potential to be a good pun. All that matters is how you use it. If you get a laugh, good job, it was funny. If you get a groan, good job also, it was most likely also funny but the listener doesn't want to admit it.

 

He placed the next slice in the pan and continued until they were done. She then showed him how to add the sugar and handed the sugar shaker to him. He started to add the sugar and it made him think of that one human song he’d heard, with the lyrics asking the listening to "pour some sugar on me"... he decided, as amusing at that would be, maybe not to try making a joke out of that. Right now he's not sure he could without it sounding as suggestive as the song sounds.

 

He then had to pause, thinking over the question asked.

 

"uh... not sure i have a favorite, i like most fruit really. i'll take that back, tomatoes are a fruit, right? but i'm sure you meant other kinds of fruits."

At that point he just shrugged. Compared to his brother, Sans was the one with the sweet tooth, and most fruits are sweet, which makes them good to him. Papyrus though, he figured didn't like the sweeter fruits since he rarely bought them.

 

"pap likes citrus and apples, or at least he mostly buys those. and syrup, though, pap would want jam for sure."

 

The questions had been directed towards him, and he hoped she didn't mind he turned them towards his brother. Sans just never really had the time or energy to care about having favorite anythings. Food was food when he was younger and caring for his brother. Which might be why he was able to tolerate inedible spaghetti for so long.

 

He finished adding the sugar and actually felt pretty good about what he'd done. It always felt good helping Tori cook or bake... and it was nice watching her work too. He was thinking of calling Papyrus when he heard him coming down the stairs.

 

(Toriel)

His pun, or rather double puns that he returned her way had her giggling harder than she probably should have, a snort or two escaping her as well. Perhaps it was her soul's way of making up for all the heavy emotions of earlier. Perhaps his pun really was that wonderfully terrible. Perhaps it was a little of both. Whatever the case, It felt so good to laugh again, and to see him return his usually _pun_ -iness.

 

When he was answering her questions, his answers brought more amusement with them, at least his quip about tomatoes being a fruit. Perhaps they were, technically, but she didn't think they'd pair all that well with the french toast. She gave him a nod in response to the stated preferences, finding it sweet that Sans knew his brother's tastes so well. Perhaps it was a little concerning how quick he was to always talk about his brother when asked about himself, but it was still heartwarming to see how much he cared.

 

Instead of any tomatoes, based on his answers, she added to Sans' plate a few sliced strawberries and a handful of blueberries. For Papyrus, apple slices and a few small orange wedges. She also chose the plate with the least sugar for Papyrus, picking up the fact that the younger skeleton was not one for cloying sweetness. For herself, strawberries and a few pieces of mango. They weren't snails, but they would certainly do.

 

Then she finally topped it all off by pouring a reasonable portion of syrup over her and Sans' toast and spreading an even amount of jam on Papyrus'. Looking over her work... no _their_ work, brought her a small surge of pride and happiness at their creation, and she shot Sans a wide smile as she dusted off her paws against her apron. She was about to praise him for a job well done and thank him for his help, when she heard the sound of Papyrus coming down the the stairs as well.

 

(Sans)

When Toriel giggled at his pun Sans couldn’t help but chuckle again. He really did love the sounds she made when happy. Add to her laughs and giggles the new discovery of her purr. Just as Tori finished the final touches to the French toast, Papyrus entered the room, face beaming.

 

Sans, though, knew better. His younger brother had been looking forward to this weekend and spending time together. It’s why he had made sure his part of the group project he was doing was done early. But now he was headed out to work on the project with his group. Still, Papyrus didn’t let this fact get to him as he smiled big.

 

“GOOD MORNING, LADY TORIEL!” Papyrus said, looking at breakfast, “THAT LOOKS POSITIVELY DELICIOUS!”

 

Sans smiled and shrugged.

 

“tori’s recipe, she let me help though.” His brother seemed to beam brighter at that and, Sans continued to smile, “going to join us before you leave?”

 

To that Papyrus nodded, “OF COURSE! ANYTHING I CAN HELP WITH?”

 

Leave it to his brother to not get this was a way of saying ‘thank you for all you do.’ Though he doubted he was that much better, especially after this morning’s conversation.

 

“nah, bro, just relax, we’ve got this,” he said glancing at Tori to back him up, while he tried to usher his brother to the table.

 

(Toriel)

"Good morning, Papyrus." She greeted him warmly as he entered the room, and smiled at his reaction to the food. That is always one of the best feelings, to be able to present someone with a delicious breakfast once they come down for the first time that day. When Sans mentioned his part in making it, she gave him a light nudge with her elbow and corrected him.

 

"Sans offered to assist me, and he was a wonderful help indeed. He also ensured I made your toast to your liking." She said, a somewhat playful smile spreading on her face as she looked down at Sans.

 

Her dear skeleton really needed to learn to give himself proper credit. She was delighted to see how happy the information made Papyrus too, no doubt recognizing the significance of Sans willful participation just as she had. When Sans insisted his brother sit down and let them handle it, she nodded and picked up the plates.

 

"I appreciate it Papyrus, but we prepared this as sort of a thank you for all you did yesterday. And just for being the "coolest monster ever."" She said that last part in a imitation of Sans' lazy monotone, indicating who so often used that term. "You just sit down and let us handle things, my friend."

 

With that, she made quick work of setting the table, with Sans' help of course, who she asked to prepare and bring out their drinks. As she placed Papyrus' food and utensils in front of him, she can tell the usually proud, self-assured skeleton was a little antsy to not be helping. There might have been some other emotions there too, something like disappointment or even frustration perhaps? But she could tell it wasn't directed at them, rather found in a moment of spaciness from the younger skeleton, quite a rarity to see from him.

 

She gave him a meaningful pat on the shoulder, hoping to reassure him and keep him focused on the happy event of the present as she laid a napkin beside his knife and fork. Once everything was settled, she and Sans took their place at the table along with him. Only then did she get the chance to turn to Sans again.

 

"Thank you again Sans, I really appreciate the help, you did wonderfully.” Then she addressed them both. “I hope you both enjoy!~” She trilled in cheerful voice.

 

Despite her hunger, Toriel simply watched the others at first, slowly cutting her first piece as she waited for the skeleton brothers' to take their first bite. That moment was always one she loved to see, that first bite bringing its flavor to a hungry palette. She was especially curious to what Sans would think, seeing as he helped make the breakfast in the first place.

 

(Sans)

When Tori nudged him lightly before stating what he did, he felt an odd mix of pride and embarrassment. It didn’t seem like it should have been a big deal, or worth mentioning, yet it felt good hearing those words. Papyrus had an odd look of pride in his sockets when Tori said that too. That inner dark self wanted to tear at him, he heard it asking ‘have i really gotten this bad, that something so simple makes them that happy?’ But he forced himself to focus on the accomplishment part of it.

 

He continued to add to that by helping Tori get the table ready for eating. Though, when Tori imitated him, he felt magic spread across his face. He does say that a lot, doesn’t he... and that was... rather “interesting” to hear from her. It didn’t help that when he set Papyrus’ drink down, Sans looked at his bro he saw that “knowing” grin on his face. Sans knew that he knew. Heck, Sans himself finally knew. Yet, his bro’s simple means to tease got to him and he nearly spilled his own drink while setting it down in a flustered state. A couple of drops did slosh over the glass rim, which he soaked up with a napkin.

 

He noticed the pat Tori gave his brother. The younger skeleton placed his hand over Tori’s, confirming that he appreciated and found comfort in that simple act. Sans felt his soul warmed by that. He finally sat down and picked up his fork. He wanted to watch his bro’s reaction, but what energy he had gained from dinner last night needed replenished. It had been a start, and there was no way his body could have handled more undigested magic at that time.

 

So now, after all that time smelling and looking at the food, his body practically screamed at him to eat. Still, he kept a socket on Papyrus, smiling when he saw those familiar sparks that showed up when his bro was really happy, accompanied by the, “WOWIE!” That was all he needed before he let himself really dig in. Which was no hardship by any means, as he greatly enjoyed the flavor of the toast.

 

He tried to eat at a reasonable pace, but hunger and the great flavor did work against him as he practically stuffing the food down. Though, Papyrus ate quickly himself then apologized for needing to leave, and that he would be back around dinner. Sans made sure to give his bro a hug, “see ya later.”

 

“YES! I’LL SEE BOTH OF YOU WHEN I GET BACK!” Papyrus said with a smile before heading out the door.

After his brother left, Sans felt unsure about what was next. The talk? He was tired but if she was ready to talk, so was he.

 

(Toriel)

Though he looked a little embarrassed, Toriel could tell Sans was glad to be praised, even for something simple like this. He seemed to be respond well to encouragement like that, and it was another thing she added to internal notes about him. It was also quite cute and amusing to see him blush at her imitation of him, perhaps she should try things like that more often, mindful not to let it become something too embarrassing for him of course.

 

It made her wonder what it would be like to hear him imitate her voice. Frisk told her that he did that once back in the underground, when he'd told them of their first meeting at the door. The idea itself was hilarious enough, actually hearing it might put her in stitches. She also noticed the bit of teasing between the brothers, where Papyrus' knowing grin returned and made poor Sans nearly spill his drink. Seemed her dear skeleton wasn't going to get a break from that today, especially now that things were more or less out in the open.

 

When everyone began to eat she was overjoyed to see all the positive reception, for her sake and for Sans'. She hoped he could feel some pride at what he had helped accomplish. He must have really been hungry too, as he wolfed down his food pretty fast once he got started. Toriel may not be Queen anymore, but she never quite fully abandoned her own table manners, at least while at the table. So she ate a slower pace than the brothers, favoring every bite of that old family recipe. Delicious.

 

Papyrus had to head out quickly after that and she bid him farewell alongside his brother. Once the door was closed and the table was cleared, there was a notable heavy pause between them. All there was left to ask was... what's next? Toriel walked back over to him and offered a sympathetic smile.

 

"Thank you again for your help dear, I really do appreciate it." She looked him over, taking in his tired appearance and remembering what she'd told herself to do once breakfast was done. "Would you like to go back to sleep for a while, Sans? I know you are tired. We can talk after you have rested a bit if you would like."

 

She paused, another blush trying to work up on her face as she tapped her claws together in an anxious little motion. "I would be happy to uh... sit with you like before, while you do. If you would like that. I have been meaning to read a bit of this new book I picked up anyway."

 

Oh dear Toriel, that was clumsy. She thought. She wondered if he even picked up on what she was offering. Whatever he answered, they'd likely need to sit down anyway for what was to come. She walked over to the couch-turned-bed and sat down, giving the cushion beside her a pat to indicate for him to do the same.

 

(Sans)

Sans smiled back up at Tori when she thanked him. It really felt good to hear her say that, and knowing that he had offered to help when she had given him an out to sleep.

 

"welcome, tori, thought it was a good way to thank you for all you did yesterday." He rubbed the back of his neck a little, thinking on that.

 

Even thinking about what had all happened brought back the tiredness he had. And feeling full, he knew he could easily sleep. But should he? They needed to have that talk at some point... That's when she asked about what he was thinking about. He looked away as he thought on that... She knew he was tired... well... he was pretty much always tired but it must be clearer to see then normal. Still, he wasn't sure he could sleep right now, not with all the thoughts in his head.

 

He sighed, thinking he was going to reject the offer for now when he looked back at her and saw her blushing. She also looked... anxious? It caused him to pause and listen as she continued. As she did he felt himself start to blush also. He began to freeze up, remembering cuddling with her yesterday, this morning, and now... she was offering to sit with him as he slept. It wouldn't be a new thing. They have watched movies together and he had fallen asleep. It was always nice, but... it wasn't planned. It was just them being together. This was her inviting him to sleep beside her.

 

Maybe, though, she didn't mean the cuddling like before. There was plenty of space on the sofa, after all. As he tried wrestling with what she fully meant he watched her walk over and sit then offered for him to join her. She patted the space next to her. He wasn't sure what to do so instincts just took over, and he walked over and sat in the indicated space. He looked at her again, then smiled, though it felt awkward

 

"i, uh, could use a nap i think... just not a long one, since we do need to talk."

 

With how he was sleeping, he could sleep most of the day. He could try forcing himself to stay up now, but he would most likely fall asleep during the talk. So, this seemed like a good idea... just... which way should he lean? He really wanted to cuddle up to her, but... is that was she meant? What if it wasn't, and he just cuddled up to her and made things awkward? He'll watch what she does, she's so far been good about letting him know what she'd like or offering for him to do.

 

(Toriel)

Toriel was relieved when he accepted her offer to sleep, he looked like he really needed it. Even if Sans was tired most of the time, he seemed especially tired now. Perhaps the mental strain of all that happened, though not all of it negative, was contributing to that, along with the lingering fatigue from his transforming yesterday. Whatever the reason, it eased her worries a bit when he came and sat next to her.

 

He seemed happy to do it, but hesitant all the same. That wasn't surprising, especially since she had fumbled with her words before. She got the feeling actions would be more useful than words here. He was looking at her like he wanted to press closer to her, but was worried how she'd react. Clearly he'd enjoyed their time together last night, and the idea that he'd want do something like that again warmed her soul deep down. If she were being honest, she wanted nothing more than to cuddle him close as well. It had brought some much needed comfort to her lonely old soul.

 

So, she willed back her own insecurities and offered a warm smile as she looped an arm around him and pulled him close to her. Then she settled back into the cushions a bit, encouraging him to lean into her.

 

"Very well, get some sleep then dear." She said softly, pulling the blanket over them both again with her free paw. "I will wake you in an hour or so if you do not wake before then. And try not to let your mind be troubled by what we have yet to discuss. Everything will be alright." Once the words left her, she rested her chin on the top of his skull, content to leave it there until he drifted off.

 

She herself likely would not be able to sleep, but she was happy to stay there with him until he had rested enough to face their impending conversation with the focus it deserved. They would both need it. For now though, she let herself forget all that and just enjoy being close with him, in a way that was quickly becoming almost normal for them. It was something she would positively love to get used to.

 

 

(Sans)

He was startled as she pulled him closer, having had expected a more subtle way to let him know. Not that he minded... it just surprised him. He looked at her for a moment and smiled as she pulled a blanket over them. He then leaned into her.

 

"heh, ok, tori... thanks...," he closed his eye sockets, feeling... safe... Or as safe as he could feel... the kid has yet to reset in over a year now, and hasn't shown any signs that they wanted to. But... they might... they still have the power to, after all. There was no way to know for sure that they wouldn’t.

 

He didn't want to leave Tori's side... he didn't want to wake up and only talk to her through a door. Slowly, he moved his hand over for another point of contact. His fingers gripped onto her clothes, trying to be mindful of the plush fur underneath. He tried to keep his breathing even as nuzzled into her. His thoughts quickly became hazy as sleep took over. With all the thoughts of resets and his other form in his head lately, it ended up affecting his dreams. Not that they normally don't.

 

\---

_He hated that thing. It hurt his brother too many times to count. He hated it more than the other part of him... in fact that side hated it too. So much so, they worked together. It hurt... as always... but it needed to happen. That twisted smiling face surrounded by golden yellow. He'll rip that plant apart. He'll blast it away, He'll destroy it over and over and over until it brings his brother back._

\---

 

It wasn't right away, but it did cause him to start moving a little in his sleep as his breath rate increased. His body thought he was in a fight that was now only in his mind. His magic even started to flare as it readied to take action.

 

(Toriel)

Toriel smiled as Sans settled against her, glad to see he was indeed okay with being held like this again. He had seemed a touch startled at first though, and she made a mental note to be more slow and telegraph her movements better from then on. Still, there was no sign of discomfort from him, and her smile grew warmer as he gripped onto her with his other hand, and nuzzled into her. It made her soul flutter inside her and was almost enough to elicit a purr from her, but she caught herself before that could happen.

 

She could certainly get used to this, and maybe she could dare to hope that after their talk later, she would. She gave him a little squeeze in return, to hopefully show her approval in his further displays of affection. It didn't take too long for him to slip into sleep after that, snoring softly. Once she was sure he was fully out, she lifted her head off of his skull for a moment, only to turn and then lay her cheek against it instead. It allowed her then to pull out the book she'd be reading from her purse. _The History of the Delta Rune and Monsterkind's Prophecy._

 

It was a recent publication by an auspicious young monster who had interviewed many monsters that lived in the times of the war. Gerson had provided most of the interviews, and she herself had been willing to speak on her experiences and knowledge regarding the subject as well. She had been sent a free copy now that it was in print, and was told it was becoming quite the bestseller, even among some human territories. It was a fascinating read, though she did admit that if felt strange to read about herself from an outside perspective. The author hadn't demonized her for her past actions like others had though, as she had somewhat feared, so she was thankful for that at least.

 

She was deep into an interview from a living descendant of one of original seven wizards when she felt Sans move a bit. The movement felt strange somehow, like a jolt of some sort, and drew her eyes down to him. Then she heard him start to breathe heavier, faster and the movements came again, harsher now. Concern gripped her instantly, and she hurriedly set aside the book in order to fully address whatever was happening.

 

"Sans...?" She said his name cautiously, running a paw down his back.

 

For a moment she had thought he was awake. Then she could see that his eye sockets were still firmly shut tight, and he gave no answer. He was still asleep... That meant, oh stars, was he having a nightmare? The concern turned to true fear in that moment, as she remembered quite well what had happened to him last time he'd had a nightmare.

 

As she detected the sensation of his magic beginning to stir, it felt as though her soul dropped within her and she moved quickly. Willing her voice to be calm as possible, she pulls back a bit and gives his shoulders a purposeful shake.

 

"Sans, Sans dear, wake up. It is okay, you are safe. You are just having a nightmare." She said, tone gentle but elevated.

 

(Sans)

A sound caught his attention. He knew this sound... it was a voice. His mind clung to it, pulling him out of the nightmare. Things didn’t make sense though. His eye sockets opened, the lights within were fuzzy as he looked up at her. What as Tori doing here? At least he knows she’s safe, for now. “tori” he croaked, sleep hanging heavy to his voice. His eye sockets remained half closed as he looked around, unsure of what he was seeing.

 

“you... shouldn’t ...here.” His words sounded, sluggish, even to him. He fought to strengthen and speed them up. “not safe.” he finished that thought and sat up while tightening his hold on her.

 

His eye lights focused as his vision did. The information still didn’t make sense... he was in Waterfall... where was he now? And where was the Flower? Was... was there a reset? Was he back in the house in Snowdin? Remembering Tori he looked at her again, feeling that panic slip away. Tori hasn’t been in the house in Snowdin. He was on the surface, he was safe, Tori... had said she loved him... and there hasn’t been a reset. He leaned back against her, now fully awake.

 

Nightmares during the day... this was getting more bothersome. He was used to them plaguing him at night and catching up on missed sleep during the day. This was getting ridiculous. Well, he had gotten some sleep and wouldn’t be ready to sleep again for a good long while.

 

“sorry about that,” he mumbled, sounding far more awake.

 

He noticed his hand was starting to hurt from how tight his grip on her clothes was and he relaxed his hand slightly, not fully ready to let go.

 

(Toriel)

Toriel fought to keep calm as Sans started showing signs of reacting to her voice. When his eye sockets opened, part of her prepared herself for him to potentially lash out or take hold of her soul. But that didn't happen, instead he rasped out her name and looked around in a haze, muttering something about her not being safe in a confused, drawling tone.

 

He clung tighter to her as well, only making her soul ache all the more for him. She kept talking to him, repeating the same things she'd said before in a effort to ground him. And then slowly, she could see recognition begin to re-enter his eyelights, so long as they were trained on her. Then they focused entirely, and she could tell he was now fully awake. There were still flickers of pain and fear in those little lights, and it hurt to see, but mostly all that was displayed was frustration. That confused her deeper, but she was too caught up in relief to give it much focus.

 

When his apology came, she promptly held him tight once more and rubbed his back in slow, hopefully soothing circles. He was still clinging to her, even if his grip had loosened some with awareness. Perhaps if she matched that by keeping a tight hold on him as well, he'd be reassured of his safety... and her own. She could only imagine what he'd been seeing to be so scared for her. Though she had a pretty good guess, given what she knew his nightmares had led to in the past. Thankfully, there were no signs of another change starting, that she could detect at least.

 

"It is alright Sans, no need to apologize." She soothed. "Are you okay now?"

 

(Sans)

It helped him calm down more being held to her... and it just felt nice. Having grown used to nightmares, he no longer felt as stressed over them as he did when he was young. Already he was feeling calmer and he nodded. “yeah, i’m okay.”

 

He could say he was a little shaken and not be lying, but that feeling would soon fade. Either way, he wasn’t happy with the idea of upsetting her, even if he couldn’t be blamed for what he dreamt. Well, if not an apology, he could try offering his appreciation for her waking him.

 

“thanks, tori.” he smiled at her. No matter how hard he tried, he still couldn’t convince himself to let her go, even with her holding him. Which was silly, nothing he held will stay that way if there was a reset.

 

Yet, this was the first time in any timeline that he learned she loved him. ... about that.

 

“now that i’m up, wanna have that talk?” He’d rather move on in topics. He didn’t want to layer on her any more issues. And he definitely didn’t want to tell her about resets. She will either think he is crazy, or worse... believe him. It’s just so easy to give up when you know your future can just disappear. Living in ignorance seems so much happier.

 

(Toriel)

Toriel found herself rather dumbfounded at how quickly he was able to recover. She couldn't attribute that simply to the fact she'd been there to wake and comfort him, no, it spoke to a deeper issue here. He was used to this. The idea made her feel truly sick, and she inevitably wondered how many nights, and even days, he’d spent tormented by dark dreams of this sort. Perhaps there was a link to his other form behind all this, but she didn't want to dwell on such ideas for the moment.

 

While she was glad he wasn't all that troubled by what had just occurred, and thus was not in any danger of changing again, it also continued to bother her that he was so proficient in quashing his emotions, this time being fear and distress. His quick thanks and jump to change the subject also let her know that there was little chance of him telling her the specifics of the dream either.

 

It did... sting a bit. Though the feeling was unwarranted and she knew it. Though they had been close for years, he was never open about these things and she had no right to expect him to be. After all, there were a handful of things she'd be quite hesitant to tell him about herself too. Things that brought her great shame and haunted her own sleepless nights.

 

Even with all that in mind though, she still wished he wouldn't be so quick to put up walls around her, as though she were something to be wary of, as if she were somehow untrustworthy. That too was unfair to him though and she pushed those thoughts away as best she could to focus on the present. She would just have to be content with what she could do for him now, and, perhaps, after they had this talk... there could be more she could accomplish in time.

 

"You are welcome dear." She replied to his thanks, continuing to hold and stroke him since he had yet to let go or pull away. "I... am just glad you are alright."

 

To his second question, she can't help but pause, again struck at how quickly he had attempted to change the subject. Nonetheless, a blush formed anew on her cheeks as she settled on a reply. "I suppose we can..." She said, cautiously. "But are you sure you are... well... are you sure you do not want a few minutes more to... recover? Forgive me if I am being silly... it just seems you had quite a scare."

 

(Sans)

He couldn’t help but get the feeling he said or did something wrong. As to what, he had no idea. He just could tell something was bothering her. Knowing that gave him a pang of guilt. She had just helped him and he had just hurt her thoughtlessly. Wanting to know what it was, he thought on that. Although, she ended up answering what the problem was herself.

 

He looked down in thought. He really was okay. But it must not be normal to be okay so soon after a nightmare. Of course, not much in his life is normal... his eye sockets darkened. He had to face facts... if she loved him the way he loved her, she needed to know this stuff so there would be no more surprises.

 

“i’m a bit shaken, but i’m fine... it didn’t rattle me as much as... yesterday’s,” he winced and looked away. Why was opening up so... overwhelming? Even if it was, if it meant she would be happy, he’d sacrifice his privacy.

“tori... if you, uh, really want to, y’know... be here...” He was feeling annoyed as the words in his head weren’t coming out like he wanted. He tried again after sighing.

 

“i hate talking about these things... and some is... well hard to talk about.” He closed his eye sockets and continued, “but if it will help, i’ll try being more... open about things. just, uh, let me know when i’m being too closed off.” He looked up at her, “i said i love you, and i mean it... and... my tendency to keep things to myself hurt you, or it seems to be that way. i don’t want to hurt you....”

 

(Toriel)

For the second time in a short while, Toriel felt stunned into momentary silence. She blinked, taking in his words for a few moments. Had he...really read her that easily? She supposed that her question may have displayed her insecurities a bit but... it was still so surprising. It made her feel a mix of warmth and embarrassment, but the positive feelings outweighed any negative easily.

 

It was touching to know he cared so much, that he could tell that her little selfish sentiment had caused her some pain. And that he was willing to do something so difficult for him to make her feel better. It inevitably wanted to bring guilt to her soul along with everything else, that her selfishness had been on display enough for him to catch on, but she did her best not to pay it any heed. They would likely keep spiraling around in a circle of guilt if she gave into that. It wouldn't get them anywhere. So instead, she did her best to think of something more constructive she could say as a reply.

 

She could comment about the first thing he'd said, but the reaction he'd had to even just mentioning the last nightmare he'd experienced was more than enough for now. The fact he'd admitted to that at all was notable. So she focused on the more meaningful, sincere words of care he'd shared with her. That second "i love you" from him especially stirring her soul and making her flustered again. She cleared her throat and attempted to focus before she began her response.

 

"Sans I... I am touched, dear. That... means to a lot to me, that you would be willing to do that." She said, scarlet eyes warm. "And yes, it... does hurt a bit when you shut me out, especially when you are clearly hurting… It would certainly be helpful for me to know better what is going on with you, so I know what to expect with you, what things I should worry or not worry about... and how to best help you with your struggles.“

 

Almost by instinct, she slowly freed and reached up a paw to gently cup the side of his skull, cradling it, and him by extension, like some precious treasure.

 

"But do remember, I must not ask too much of you, and you should not push yourself too hard in that regard out of concern for me. I must keep in mind that this is not easy for you. In fact, I think it is fair to say it is more difficult for you than it is for most monsters, and there is nothing wrong with that. You have your rights to your secrets, the right to set boundaries in what you wish to share with me, and you _should_ set them and let me know when I am asking too much, or prying too deeply. And I should, and will, do the same.”

She paused for a moment, furrowing her brows a bit in thought as she contemplated the best way to continue.  

 

“Perhaps the boundaries can change in time, as things… potentially progress, but there is no rush with these things, so long as it is not something urgent. I promise though, whatever you choose to share with me, I shall honor that show of trust and not turn away from you because of it, nor share it with another soul. And I am willing to bet you would do the same for me.”

 

Once her long winded speech finally ended and she blushed a bit for her gabbiness and… other feelings, she offered him another warm smile.

 

“After all… it is as they say… love is a... two way compromise, is it not?” She asked.

 

Well, all that was certainly one way to begin this important conversation.

 

(Sans)

Her silence made him pause, as he worried if he was wrong with his assumption or if he had been too forward with it. Perhaps he had misread her. He'd always found that reading others was easy, though he did have trouble reading Tori. She has her own secrets like he did. Though, as he got to know her, that had changed. She wasn't easy to read, but with enough information, or the same reaction to something, he could figure out what she might have felt.

 

Maybe he should apologize for making an assumption. He readied himself to speak again when she spoke up instead. The first part caused him to then relax and he smiled up at her. He saw the warmth in her eyes and he felt such peace from seeing it. It reminded him of how he felt in the presence of her fire magic. Never burning, only providing such wonderful, nurturing warmth. Though he felt his soul sink when she admitted that his past actions had caused her pain.

 

His goal of sparing her pain had only caused her pain. He could argue that the pain he caused was less than the pain she would have felt had he told her. But knowing Tori, as he thought about yesterday, she's the type that the opposite would be true. And he doubted she would believe him if he told her not to worry about any of it, that there was really nothing to worry about. He had long since learned how to deal with all of this. It is not the way she would have wanted, he was sure, but to him, it had be dealt with.

 

He gets nightmares, most, though not all, dealing with events that no longer happened. He accepts that, wakes up, gets a snack if needed, then goes back to sleep. Changes happen and they are painful, horrible, and scary... but there's nothing that can be done, so... hate it but live with it. At any second everything can be taken away... so don't build anything.... Sans tightened his grip again at that thought.

 

Tori's paw touched and cradled his skull. He looked up at her, feeling a mix of love, fear, embarrassment, and adoration. There was the feeling of her magic causing a blush to spread on his face. Though he could get lost looking at her, he focused on what she was saying.

 

Yes, he will set boundaries. There was no way he was going to share the information that led to him being like... this... not willing to try most of the time. Willing to accept that he had no control over anything. The idea of her being like him... seeing the same tired look on her on face that he wore... hurt his soul.

 

At the end of her speech, he thought he saw some pink showing through her fur and he felt his own blush deepen. To her question, he nodded.

 

“yea… tori, it is. and you’re right, i would do the same for you.” He paused for a moment, as this opened up a possibility of something that had been bothering him.

 

“tori… just make sure you don’t feel like you can’t share with me also. i worry that you focus so much on helping me at times you forget about yourself or your own pain….” He hoped she took this the right way and didn’t feel like he was pushing any boundaries she set up.

 

(Toriel)

As she spoke, she watched Sans' expression work through a range of emotions, from happiness, to guilt and even a hint of despair that made him clutch at her tighter. But her touch against his skull then seemed to steady his emotions somewhat once more, and he listened on more thoughtfully. There was some expected blushing at the act too, his endearing fond expression warming her soul as she continued on with her little speech.

 

She felt something within her ease when he accepted her words, filled with joy at his response. She could tell there was something in particular he did not wish to tell her, likely related to this other form of his, but it didn’t make any twinge of rejection come now. Clearly there were things at the root of all this that were too painful to talk about, and she was content with that, so long as he was.

 

His poor ways of handling it all could be addressed in time, now that she could feel the trust between them had deepened. For now though, this was enough, and it made her feel all the closer to him. His last request brought her a moment of pause as she considered the words, then she gave him another warm smile, though her eyes carried a now more openly heavy weariness to them.

 

If she wanted him to feel more comfortable about opening up to her, then she should be open with him as well, should she not? After all, perhaps he'd find comfort in her words and some assurance he wasn't alone... wait... she was doing it again, exactly as he'd said.

 

This was supposed to be about... her pain, not his. As always, lingering on her own wants made her feel selfish, especially when the option to focus on others was right there and so much more honorable. But... maybe this was a bigger problem for her than she realized.

 

“Thank you Sans." She murmured after a few moments, sweeping a thumb gently over his cheekbone. "I will... keep that in mind. For you are right... I must admit."

 

She closed her eyes briefly, reflecting for a moment on the dull ache of all her past suffering and loss that lingered ever presently in her soul, always just under the surface. "I do tend to spend so much time worrying and caring for those around me, that I neglect my own needs. It is... a problem. One I need to give more focus on correcting. I just have a hard time with the... guilt and the feelings of selfishness that come with focusing on myself, you know?”

 

“I am a monster who has caused a great deal of suffering in the past, for monsters... and humans. Even if I had good intentions. I have… much to make up for.” Her red eyes opened again at that, looking a bit more hazy as she was drawn further into her thoughts. “And… I fear my time in the Ruins, all that isolation… It did not do me any favors. I am not the confident and self-assured Queen I used to be, merely her damaged shell. That on top of everything I lost in the past… I guess sometimes I am too scared that saying or doing the wrong thing, anything selfish, will make those I love want to leav-“

 

She cut herself off, realizing just how far she’d gone with spilling her own faults. A twinge of her own self hatred flared up in her soul, making her wince a bit, but she shook herself and managed a weak smile again. She also pulled her paw from his skull to briefly cover her face with, suddenly not feeling all that worthy of touching him like that.

 

“Stars, listen to me. Sorry… I tend to ramble sometimes… I um… talked to myself a lot in the Ruins… D-do not be too troubled by any of that dear okay?” As she waited for his reply, she left her face covered, acting as though it were a display of exasperation for herself, but really feeling fearful of meeting his gaze again, fearing what sort of emotion she’d see there.

 

(Sans)

He felt his soul flutter when she thanked him, and more so when her thumb swept over his cheekbone. He was happy she was at least willing to think about it, but he was hoping for a complete agreement. Toriel’s story, some of it, was in easy access to every monster. It was taught in schools, written in books, and was even played out by Mettaton. But many of those paint her as some villain who’d rather run off and be with humans than see her people free and happy.

 

He couldn’t imagine that is a healthy thing to find out, even for the most stoic of person... and then her children... Asriel, Chara, and he could assume at least most of the 6 humans before Frisk, if not all of them. These were glaring pains that she kept buried by self-sacrifice. But he could see it now and then when around a crowd of monsters or at times she looks at Frisk.

 

She did admit to it though, her self neglect. One word shocked him though. Selfish... _selfish?!_ She was the least selfish person he knew. She had let this concern tear at her until she’d become completely self sacrificing.

 

This frustration at the word though was ignored once he saw that hazy look in her eyes. A pang of sorrow and guilt for causing such a look traveled through him. But, if he was going to help her, he needed to be ready for more of that. It will hurt, but she couldn’t just suffer in silence, especially not if he was going to be more open with her. The word she stopped on... had he... his soul froze and another stronger wave of guilt wracked through him.

 

He couldn’t remember if he told her that he wasn’t going to leave her. And with all the pushing away and trying to convince her to leave... how much pain did he unintentionally cause her in his vain and foolish attempt to spare her? Her paw pulled away and he sat there, wondering if that was for the best, as he had failed her so miserably.

 

But no... she shouldn’t be isolated any more than she felt he should. Her last bit cause a small, humorless “heh” to escape him. Troubled was not the word he would use. She was hiding from him... Sans finally let go of her clothes. Using both hands he reached out and took her paw, holding it and softly petting it with him thumbs.

 

“tori,” he then moved his left hand to her face while still holding her far larger paw in his right hand. “tori... the...” He is voice was catching up on him, “the pure notion of you being selfish is so foreign to me. your feelings of pain have just as much right to be addressed as mine. i see the pain in your eyes now and then, and it hurts me just as it hurts you when i....”

 

He sighed looking away. “when i do the same... and tori... i am so sorry. all this time i’ve been pulling away, trying to get you to leave.” He felt tears started to enter his sockets. “i’m not leaving you tori... ever.”

 

If only she knew... if only she knew how many times that flower put them through the same meeting. And how much it hurt each time to hear that lack of recognition in her voice. How each time he tried to convince himself that it was too painful... and yet, each time he was there, knocking on that set of doors, telling the same joke. He gave her as serious of a look he could with his perpetual grin and watery sockets, “i promise.”

 

 

(Toriel)

There was a moment when she felt him take her paw, that the instinct to resist, to stop all this, to prevent him from being saddled with the curse she seemed to bring to all who she'd cared for, burned through her. She could justify staying beside him in order to see to his needs, to ensure his happiness and safety, but in the context of the desires of her own pathetically lonely soul. It all seemed in that moment like she'd manipulated him into a corner. But despite it all, she just... couldn't resist. She'd been alone for so long... not even the venomous hatred of her mind could move her to pull away from his offered comfort.

 

Having her paw gently cradled like that, softly stroked by his bony thumbs, reminded her how very touch starved she'd become... that even that much made her soul do joyful flips within her. But it was the light touch of his hand against her cheek that finally got her to meet his eyelights again. She'd been expecting confusion, discomfort, even disgust at her sudden weakness. But that had been foolish, for her to ever think he'd carry such malice. She and him both were monsters who lived for others, and he'd never look down upon her or anyone for their suffering. He only ever despised himself for that, just as she despised herself.

 

They truly were a couple of silly fools.

 

No, all she saw in his eyelights was love and concern. It was only then she realized she was crying, vision blurring as tears welled and spilled silently into her fur. They continued to run on and on as he spoke, all his words settling over her soul. The sentiments taking steps to finally be accepted.

 

She had not realized how much she'd needed this reassurance, and to hear it from him of all monsters... she feared her soul would give way beneath all the stirred emotion. Then when he apologized, began to tear up in turn and... promised not to leave her... her mind almost couldn't accept it. Sans... hated promises, by his own admission... and yet he still...? Oh, if only he knew... how much those words meant to her. In that moment, she allowed herself to believe that, for once, she may not lose someone she loved after all...

 

She couldn't speak then, far too choked up by everything, by emotions she'd hadn't let surface in literal ages. So instead, she simply hugged him tight again, holding him to her as though he could disappear any moment, and leaned down to nuzzle her face against the soft material of his hood. She just held him like that for a while, weeping softly, and praying she wasn't dreaming alone in the Ruins like she had so many times, doomed to wake up to a cold and painfully empty house, a cold and painfully empty life. But the feeling of his nearby soul… it calmed her fretful mind, like nothing else ever had. He had always been her light in her darkest moments, and that certainly held true even now.

 

"Th-thank you..." She croaked out after a while, when she’d found her voice again. “I… I promise it too, Sans… Thank you…”

 

After the words left her, the pain eased some, and tears stopped. But she allowed herself one last bit of selfishn- no… justified need for comfort and held onto him a little longer. She knew in her soul, that he’d be content with it.

 

(Sans)

Seeing her tears, Sans lightly wiped them away the best he could with his hoodie sleeve. More came, making his efforts seem useless, but he hoped the action gave her some amount of comfort like it did him. When she pulled him into a tight hug, it was hard to continue that, as he couldn't see where he was wiping as well, so he just pet her cheek softly with his thumb while wrapping his right arm around her into a half hug, hugging her back as tight as he could with one arm.

 

He felt her soul near him and he nuzzled his face into her neck as he tried to decide if he wanted to do what was on his mind or not. Her words of thanks warmed him, and the promise was something he knew she would keep. Tori had a strong will and had an integrity that wouldn’t let her break a promise, at least not easily. That was part of why he trusted and loved her. They had their differences, but all that was on the surface. Their true natures were so alike...

 

He was happy she hadn't eased up on the hug yet, as he wasn't ready to let go or be let go of. It was easy to say he loved her... well, not easy, but it left a matter of the question of how much he loved her. That was what he wanted her to know…

 

While holding as tightly as he could to all his other emotions, he let his soul radiate the love he had for her. This came with some pain and fear along with it, as trying to build his relationship with her was filled with both. From having everything reset so many times, the fear of it being reset was still a lingering along with if she learned the true him she would hate and reject him. All these plagued the emotion of love, but he held back as much of the fear and pain as he could. After all, this moment was her moment. He didn't want it turning back to him. She gave him his moment yesterday and most of this morning. Now was her time for comfort. And if knowing the extent of his love could help...

 

From his self rejection of the blaster side of himself, he was unaware that half was also sharing love with her. The love that side gave was not weighed down by the fear and pain. There was sorrow though, as it was constantly being held back from her. But, in the end, it _was_ him, just as much as he was himself, just rejected and pushed to the side. But it felt for her the same as he did, even though he didn’t know it. For Toriel, it would feel like two of him were reaching out to comfort her with love.

 

He tried pushing back this self doubt and focus on comforting her. He wasn't going anywhere unless he was forced by a reset. And even then, he'd find her again like he always did. Though, thanks to the kid being the one in charge of the resets, it wouldn’t be back at the very beginning.

 

He waited until he felt her relax before removing his face from her neck and shifted a little to look at her. But he kept his hand against her cheek, not yet willing to remove it as he softly ruffled the fur with affection and amusement of the softness of it.

 

(Toriel)

When she was still wrapped up in him, and subsequently wrapped up in her emotions, she had felt him gently wiping the tears from her face, just as she had for him. It was a gesture that once again touched her deeply, and soothed her further, even when she made the task most difficult for him by holding him the way she was.

 

Throughout it all, she felt feelings of love from his soul. Warm and wonderful like the heat of a gentle fire. Feelings she never expected to feel from another monster ever again. And they were a focused effort on his part, he wanted her to know through the magic of his soul what he likely would struggle to put into words. It made a good portion of her doubts melt away and she was quick to return the feeling as best she could through all the other emotions besetting her.

 

She felt loved then, truly, undoubtably. For perhaps the first time in over a century. He deserved to know she loved him too, even if she was too wrought to currently speak the words. Oddly though, when his soul reached out to her own, it felt like two presences were offering her their love and comfort. One was familiar as could be, and the other was more new to her, yet still familiar all the same. Did his other half... care for her as well? The thought was touching and even a little amusing. She hoped so though, for if it was part of him, no matter what he said, she would offer it her love in return.

 

When he eventually pulled back a bit to face her, she felt at ease with it, especially when he kept his hand there on her cheek. She wiped at her reddened, sore eyes with a paw while moving the other to lightly cover his hand that was on her cheek. She wasn’t sure what to say for a bit, still embarrassed by her sudden emotions. But it was only a small embarrassment, lost mostly to all those feelings of love. From the both of them.

 

Eventually she found her voice again, dropping her paw from her eyes and re-wrapping it around him in a gentle loop. She had a thought along with it, something she could do, a question she could ask to prove her feelings further. It made her feel nervous admittedly, but being caught up in a happy haze of sorts helped rationalize the thought as she spoke.

 

"You truly are remarkable Sans." She rasped with a genuinely warm, if weary smile as she lightly rubbed the bony hand that was still against her cheek. "You have made this lonely old soul of mine so very happy and feel so very loved... and I feel as though I could never fully repay you for that. But... I do think I know one small thing that I could do for now at least..." She trailed off, looking deep into the little lights of his eyes and slowly moving her own paw to gently cup his cheekbone again.

 

"Sans, would you... permit me to kiss you?" She asked, red eyes sparkling just a bit.

 

The question made it clear that there was no pressure behind it, that he could refuse without any hard feelings. After all, she could always just give him another little nuzzle instead, he made it clear that he enjoyed those. But something within her made her feel like it was a good time to ask. It just felt… right.

 

(Sans)

When she returned the feeling of love some of his own fears subsided. She truly did love him... he actually chuckled softly into her neck. How this wonderful woman came to feel like that about him of all monsters, he will never understand. But he will do what he can to never disappoint her. When he looked at her again, he marveled at her beauty. Even after crying, she was still radiant to him.

 

He felt her paw cover his hand. It was far larger, and by all accounts he should feel small... but he didn’t. All he felt was loved. She may be far bigger, able to hold and carry him, and require him to look up to see her face... but he rarely ever felt small around her like he did other monsters. Maybe it was her love, even as a friend, or maybe it was how she brings out the best in him. Whatever the case, all he felt when her paw covered his hand was love and appreciation. When she wrapped him in her arms he leaned into her again. He was so happy... truly happy. It felt weird and yet... the best he has felt in years.

 

His blush returned as she called him remarkable. That felt like a stretch to him, but he won’t argue it. If she felt he was remarkable, he will try to live up to that. He considered telling her that she had already repaid him, but he was curious to hear what she had thought of. His skull leaned into her touch, enjoying the feel of her paw holding his cheekbone again. He was almost too “drunk” on that blissful feeling to understand her request. It took a moment to sink in and then he looked at her with wide sockets.

 

... Alphys’ OTP be damned...

 

He’d text his friend himself to tell her that her ship sunk. He’d even let everyone know that he was in love with Tori. She was asking to kiss him... that sparkle in her eyes added to his marveling of her greatness. The giddiness he felt earlier returned and he fought with his magic to get even one word out.

 

“sure.” he squeaked, or it as a squeak compared to his normal deep tone.

 

He was trying to keep himself together, but it felt like a losing battle. Still, he got enough control to say, “would, uh, love that... actually.” His soul was doing flips in his rib cage at the thought. He loved her nuzzles, but a kiss…

 

(Toriel)

She couldn't help but giggle when he squeaked out his response, looking about as happy as could be beneath all the flusteredness. It felt so good to laugh, and it seemed to let her soul feel all the lighter after all her tears. His giddy acceptance of the offer made her own magic flood with equally giddy feelings, and it also rose up to color her cheeks again.

 

She hadn't kissed anyone in... over a century. That idea made her soul do little nervous flip flops within her, but she didn't let them manifest into anything meaningful. She had secretly thought about doing this for a long time... she wanted to make it special for them both. Had Sans ever even been kissed before? By a monster with lips that is... It was likely a different sort of experience for a skeleton.

 

Her love for him made her wish to say of course he'd been kissed before, surely the idea of such a wonderful monster never catching another's eye was silly. But some reasonable doubt as to that continued to linger. Nonetheless, whether he'd been kissed a thousand times before this or this was to be his first, she would make it meaningful all the same. She offered him a warm, grateful smile in response, before giving them both a moment to prepare themselves. As they did,  she drew in a slow, anticipatory breath.

 

Then, she leaned down and gently eased his face up to her own, closing the distance between them. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his exposed teeth, gently holding his skull in place with her paw. A sort of exhilaration lightly flared throughout her soul, as both their magic reached out to each other in turn. Sans may not have been able to "return" the kiss in the traditional sense, but it still didn't feel one sided. His stirred magic met her lips where they touched him, and it was warm and had a spark to it like a sort of electricity flowing through him. It was certainly unlike any other sort of kiss she'd experienced before. It was wholly fascinating and oh so wonderful. It was bliss, pure bliss...

 

She let it last a good while, and honestly could have stayed liked that until her lungs burned for air, but she didn't want to potentially overwhelm him, especially for their first kiss. (and she had more than enough hope at this point that it wouldn't be their last) So she made her herself gently pull away before too long, enough to meet his gaze and gauge his reaction to it all. As she did, her soul continued to joyfully dance inside her, making her feel happier than she had in literal ages

 

(Sans)

Her giggle didn’t help settle his flustered feeling. It really just added to it with a mix of him finding her giggle adorable and being both embarrassed and amazed he got her to make that noise. He had been kissed before but... it was more of a surprising thing that happened from Bun at Grillby’s after getting dared to smooch him. It might be an interesting story to tell Tori one day... but the key point was... with skeletons, they need to be aware to actually kiss back.

 

He had wondered what it would be like to kiss Tori... and now he’ll find out. Her warm smile he echoed back to her as he tried to remember to breath. As she leaned down and, thankfully, direct his face, he readied his magic. So much is done with magic with skeletons, and kissing is no exception. He felt her lips as they touched his magic and teeth. He liked the feel of her soft lips. It was... to be honest, weird, but not in a bad way. The fleshiness of others in contact was so different than himself that he couldn’t help but find it oddly amusing and in this case, highly enjoyable.

 

The touch of Tori’s paws, nose, and lips in each way she has touched him, before and now, all felt so different and exciting. This time there was the added warmth and spark of their magic meeting and he felt enthralled by this. This was far different than the other kiss he experienced. It sent a shiver up his spine as his magic danced with hers. No wonder the dogi couple were always kissing. This really was a spectacular feeling and sharing of emotions. And... he was happy he was feeling this with Tori for his first actual kiss.

 

He was almost disappointed when she pulled away, but understood that they had to at some point. “woah,” he could stop himself as he grinned up at her, “we gotta do that again sometime.” Those words popped out before he really thought on what he was saying, but he wasn’t going to try taking them back. His magic felt so bright that he was sure his eye lights were brighter and larger than normal. As for his soul, it had finished the flips and now danced in his rib cage while joyfully fluttering its overall happiness at what just occurred.

 

Tori looked happy, so hopefully, he wasn’t bad at the kiss. Still... it’s not like he was her first kiss. And as someone without flesh, he hoped she found some enjoyment in kissing him. Those lips felt so soft, kissing such a hard surface... can’t be that enjoyable.

 

“heh, if it helps, next time i’ll bring flowers since _tulips_ could be better than none,” he offered, using the pun to ask about his insecurities.

 

As with so many things with them, all moments, big and small, warranted a good pun. This one, and the events that brought it about, made it feel extra special, even if it was reflecting on Sans’ wavering self-confidence in all this. Things for them had just shifted greatly, in a new and exciting direction, but the puns that had helped build their bond in the first place were a good reminder that, as much as things might soon change for them, many things, the important things, would still stay the same. Of that, they were surely not _Kiss_ -staken.

 

Sans’ other form may be something he feared and even despised, but there was no denying that, in many ways, it was the thing that had finally driven them to take this great next step. How it would continue to affect their developing relationship going forward though, only time would tell.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, we'd like to thank you for reading our RP/Fic. It started out as just something fun to do, but as we started drawing scenes we started thinking others might want a chance to see what we have been doing. We hope you enjoyed reading this as much as we did creating it.


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